Hai Phong farmers grow bananas for Tet but lose everything even though they sell them well. Why is this happening?

It is time to sell bananas for Tet, but this year in Hai Phong the atmosphere is gloomy and deserted due to the consequences of natural disasters. Although the demand for Tet bananas increases and prices are high, people do not have bananas to sell.

In village 7, Lien Xuan commune, Thuy Nguyen city , famous as the land of Tet bananas in Hai Phong city, each bunch is worth millions of dong, but now it has become quiet, no longer bustling with banana trucks and cheerful laughter like previous years.

A rare Tet banana garden in Lien Xuan commune. Photo: DM.

Banana gardens in Hai Phong have only a few banana trees left. Photo: DM.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Ha has more than 2 sao of bananas here and said that last year's Tet crop, despite low productivity, her family still earned nearly 30 million VND.

This year, determined to increase her income, she invested heavily, but storm number 3 swept away her banana garden, causing all her efforts and money to go down the drain.

"Everything was poured into the banana trees but they all failed. I tried everything but couldn't save any of them so I had to cut them down so that new ones could grow for next year's crop. I'm so sad. I've been growing bananas for decades and I've never felt so sad during Tet," Ms. Ha choked up.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Thanh, who lives in the same village 7, Lien Xuan commune, also faced a similar situation when more than 1 sao of Tet bananas were completely destroyed by the storm. In previous years, at this time, traders would come to place orders, but this year, there were no signs of them.

A banana garden that has just recovered from a natural disaster still produces fruit but does not meet the standards to sell during Tet. Photo: DM.

To earn income, Mr. Thanh has to intercrop vegetables and wait until the next crop to plant bananas again. "Each sao of bananas can be sold cheaply for 10 million VND, now we have lost everything, we can only rely on livestock and vegetables to prepare for Tet," Mr. Thanh said sadly.

According to the investigation of Dan Viet reporter, in Lien Xuan commune, there are more than 200 hectares of bananas for Tet. Every year, some households with high banana productivity can earn 40 million VND/sao, while the rest can earn over 10 million VND/sao. However, this year, 100% of the banana and custard apple growing area was damaged, and people basically lost their crops.

Similar to Lien Xuan, Ninh Son commune area (including 3 old communes: An Son, Ky Son and Phu Ninh) of Thuy Nguyen city currently has more than 100 hectares of banana plantation.

If in 2023 the banana trees here got sick and then the price became cheap, then in 2024, storm number 3 left almost all banana growers empty-handed, with no income for the Lunar New Year 2025.

People take care of the newly recovered banana garden to get seedlings for next year. Photo: DM.

"Last year I was one of the few lucky households to get good fruit because I fertilized late, the bananas were beautiful and had a good price, but this year my luck is gone. The entire banana garden was broken like straw after storm No. 3," Mr. Cao Van Khuong, a banana grower in Ninh Son commune, sadly shared.

"This year, the demand for Tet bananas is still as high as every year, but the bananas were damaged by storm No. 3 and have not recovered in time, so the price is expected to increase. To meet customer demand, we are looking for sources everywhere to buy and serve people in time," said Ms. Bui Thi Thu, a trader specializing in Tet bananas in Ninh Son commune.

According to a leader of the Ninh Son Commune People's Committee, the locality has a large area of ​​bananas for Tet in Thuy Nguyen City. Bananas here are famous for their large, beautiful fruit, sweet taste, and characteristic aroma, so they are favored by the market.

Therefore, although the selling price is very high, it is still in high demand. The price of banana ranges from 500,000 VND to 800,000 VND/bunch, and pink banana from 800,000 - 1,500,000 VND/bunch.

In the past, people grew bananas mainly for their family's needs, but in recent years, banana trees have gradually been grown en masse, replacing rice and vegetable fields with low productivity and low economic efficiency.

Banana trees help people improve their lives. Some families have become rich from growing bananas to sell during Tet, so this year's crop failure has greatly affected people's lives.

"This year, banana growers are left empty-handed, with more than 200 hectares of land affected. A few hectares of land produce fruit, but the bunches are small and ugly. Even if they can be sold, the price won't be high," added the leader of Ninh Son commune.

Source: https://danviet.vn/nong-dan-hai-phong-trong-chuoi-tet-trang-tay-du-ban-duoc-vi-sao-nen-noi-2025012609073255.htm