Farmers earn low profits from the summer-autumn rice crop.

Currently, farmers in Ninh Quoi commune are entering the early summer-autumn rice harvest season. However, the joy of the harvest is not complete as rice prices have fallen, yields are not high, while input costs have increased sharply. This has resulted in low profits for farmers after a season of hard work, with some households even breaking even.

Productivity decreased due to unfavorable weather conditions.

From the beginning of the season, the agricultural sector advised farmers to adhere to the planting schedule, sow seeds simultaneously, and apply technical solutions such as the "3 reductions, 3 increases" model, the "1 must, 5 reductions" model, sustainable farming, IPHM, using certified seeds, and strengthening pest and disease control and disaster prevention... As a result, the quality of this rice crop was ensured. However, unfavorable weather during the heading and flowering stages resulted in poor grain filling, while the hot weather combined with unusual rainfall caused poor rice plant development and significantly reduced yields.

Farmers are harvesting the 2025 summer-autumn rice crop.

According to local farmers, this year's summer-autumn rice crop yielded only 25-35 bushels per hectare, a decrease of 10-15 bushels per hectare compared to the same period last year. Having just harvested 20 hectares of OM545 summer-autumn rice, Ms. Vo Thi Thu, from Ninh Thuan hamlet, Ninh Quoi commune, said: “This season, the rice yield was about 30 bushels per hectare. I sold it for 5,700 VND/kg. After deducting expenses, I made a profit of about 1 million VND per hectare. The high cost of fertilizers and pesticides has resulted in low profits.”

Farmers are struggling to bear the costs.

Compared to last year's summer-autumn crop, current rice prices have decreased by 500-1,000 VND/kg. Specifically, OM5451 variety is being purchased by traders at 5,500-5,700 VND/kg; OM18 at approximately 5,800-6,200 VND/kg; and ST 25 at 7,800-8,000 VND/kg. At these prices, farmers only earn a profit of about 1-1.5 million VND/hectare, a decrease of 1.5-2 million VND/hectare compared to the previous crop.

Meanwhile, production costs continue to rise by 10-20%, especially the prices of fertilizers, pesticides, rice seeds, and labor costs. On average, the cost per hectare of rice ranges from 2.8 to 3.5 million VND. As a result, many households are not making a profit, or are making only negligible profits.

Mr. Le Minh Chau, a farmer from Ninh Thuan hamlet, shared: “Yields have decreased by about 20% due to erratic weather. The price of rice has also dropped by 800-1,000 VND/kg, while the price of agricultural supplies is constantly increasing, so farmers are making very little profit, and many households are only breaking even.”

Currently, taking advantage of the favorable weather, farmers in Ninh Quoi are urgently harvesting their rice crops to avoid damage from the storms predicted for July.

For summer-autumn rice crops that are currently in the flowering stage, the agricultural sector advises farmers to regularly inspect their fields and proactively control pests and diseases such as brown planthopper, blast, and grain discoloration to ensure high yields at the end of the season.

We need support for output and price stabilization of materials.

This year's early summer-autumn rice crop continues to highlight the challenges in agricultural production, as farmers face both rising costs and unstable market outlets. The volatile rice prices coupled with continuously escalating input costs are nothing new, but each harvest season, the "bumper harvest - low prices" dilemma remains unresolved for rice farmers.

In the long term, to ensure sustainable income for farmers, the agricultural sector needs to strengthen production-consumption linkages, replicate new cooperative models, and develop large-scale farming areas, thereby helping farmers secure stable prices for their products. At the same time, policies are needed to control and stabilize the prices of agricultural inputs, preventing uncontrolled price increases that cause double losses for producers. Furthermore, the application of science and technology in production, such as high-yield new varieties, fertilizer and pesticide savings, and smart farming techniques, should be strongly promoted to reduce input costs and increase rice yield and quality.

Huyen Trang

Source: https://baocamau.vn/nong-dan-lai-thap-vu-lua-he-thu-a120745.html