Farmers are "swimming in a storm of rising prices".

Báo Cà Mau•20/06/2023

Mr. Nguyen Huu Khai, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tran Hoi commune, Tran Van Thoi district, shared: "Taking advantage of the freshwater zone, in recent years, the commune has focused on developing suitable crop and livestock models, including the snakehead fish farming model (51 hectares) and a fairly large area of vegetable cultivation. However, in 2022 and the first months of this year, the price of commercial snakehead fish decreased by 15-20 thousand VND/kg compared to the same period; the prices of vegetables and agricultural products are also unstable. Meanwhile, input costs for production have increased, greatly affecting income, profits, and the morale of the people. I hope that the authorities at all levels will have policies to support farmers in agricultural production and strictly manage the prices of agricultural inputs, ensuring quality and fair prices, helping farmers reduce input costs and increase profits in production."

Mr. Duong Van Ngoan (Kinh Cu hamlet, Tran Hoi commune, Tran Van Thoi district) said that for the past two years, the price of fish feed has increased sharply, while the price of commercial snakehead fish is too low, resulting in losses for 8 out of 10 fish farmers. "As for me, to cope with the 'price storm,' I breed my own fingerlings, buy feed from large distributors, and combine multiple crops and livestock on the same area, such as raising snakehead fish, tilapia, and catfish; raising civets and frogs... I utilize the feed sources I grow and raise myself to serve these models in order to reduce costs. Only by doing so can I make a profit," Mr. Ngoan said.

Mr. Duong Van Ngoan (standing in the middle) utilizes self-grown and self-raised feed sources to feed his farming models, thereby reducing production costs.

Similarly, due to the high prices of gasoline, electricity, and agricultural supplies, people in saline areas specializing in industrial and super-intensive shrimp farming are currently facing many difficulties in production. Mr. Nguyen Hoang Hai, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Provincial Cooperative Union, said: "The Ca Mau Cooperative Union currently has 9 member cooperatives, and the number of improved extensive and super-intensive shrimp farming ponds within the cooperative system is very large. However, currently about 70% of the area is abandoned due to lack of capital for farming. The remaining 30% are maintained, and recently some households have achieved successful shrimp farming, with shrimp of size 40 shrimp/kg, but they can only sell them at 97,000 VND/kg, while the investment cost to harvest 1 kg of shrimp is already 82,000 VND. After deducting costs, shrimp farmers do not make a profit; with this reality, farmers cannot continue farming anymore. To successfully farm a super-intensive shrimp pond, farmers face a lot of pressure due to the high risk, especially during the rainy season like now. Yet, even if they succeed, farmers still don't make a profit, which is very unreasonable. Farmers are in a dilemma: if they continue farming, they fear losses, but if they stop, they will face consequences." Bank loan interest rates are rising every day."

Currently, shrimp farmers practicing super-intensive farming are facing difficulties due to a sharp drop in commercial shrimp prices, while input costs are all increasing.

Mr. Dinh Hieu Nghia, Deputy Chief Inspector of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that every year the Department's Inspectorate establishes an inter-agency inspection team to conduct inspections of the quality and prices of agricultural supplies, fertilizers, pesticides, etc. From the beginning of the year until now, the unit has inspected 160 samples, with results available for 89 samples, 64 samples meeting quality standards, and 13 samples failing to meet standards. Regarding price inspections, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Inspectorate, in coordination with the Department of Finance Inspectorate, annually checks the price listing on packaging and the correct price declaration at production facilities in the area. Overall, prices and quality are relatively stable. "Regarding the issue of rising prices of production materials, which has been a concern for farmers recently, the cause stems from fluctuations in domestic and international markets. We hope that farmers will wisely choose reputable and high-quality suppliers, combine this with cost reduction, and contribute to increased efficiency and profitability in production," Mr. Dinh Hieu Nghia informed.

To protect themselves from the "price storm" and minimize the impact of rising agricultural input prices, farmers, as recommended by relevant authorities, need to change their farming methods towards organic farming; utilize existing organic resources and agricultural products in production.

To reduce costs in snakehead fish farming, Mr. Thi Van Binh, from Hamlet 3, Tran Hoi Commune, Tran Van Thoi District, breeds snakehead fish himself for his 1.5-hectare farming area. He also chooses a low-density farming method, saving on feed, resulting in faster fish growth and higher efficiency.

Regarding the issue of sharply falling raw shrimp prices, the provincial agricultural sector leaders have chaired two conferences to assess the situation and propose solutions to help farmers stabilize production in shrimp farming, especially super-intensive shrimp farming. The province has requested the central government to implement policies on taxes and fees to reduce feed costs, or to propose a government credit package of approximately 10 trillion VND to support seafood purchasing and processing businesses. In addition, the province has directed local banks to facilitate access to loans with preferential interest rates for farmers to maintain production. Provincial authorities also advise farmers to focus on improved two-stage extensive farming to reduce costs and increase shrimp productivity. At the same time, the sector will closely monitor the market to inform farmers, provide them with market information, and guide them towards appropriate farming practices at different times, ensuring efficient and profitable farming.

Loan Phuong

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