In the last days of May, in the vast melon fields of Thuong Tan Loc commune (Nam Dan district), groups of farmers are busy harvesting. Each person has a job: some pick, some roll the melons, some carry them, trying to collect every intact fruit after the long unseasonal rains... But in contrast to the bustling atmosphere often seen in previous seasons, this year, the hustle and bustle is imbued with anxiety.
According to Mrs. Tran Thi Thanh (Minh Tan hamlet, Thuong Tan Loc commune), her family grows 5 sao of Thai watermelon - a type of watermelon favored by the market because of its sweetness, juiciness, and beautiful appearance. However, throughout the season, heavy rains continuously caused flooding, rotting the roots and fruits. Near harvest time, there was unseasonal rain, causing a series of watermelons to crack open in the middle of the field.
“Some crops only grow after three times of sowing. We take care of them for a long time but only get a few fruits. Before we can celebrate, the rain comes. The low fields are flooded, the high fields have cracked fruits because of the erratic weather,” Ms. Thanh said sadly.
Not only Ms. Thanh, melon growers in other localities such as Nghi Loc, Dien Chau, Nghia Dan, etc. are also in a similar situation. According to the people, this year's melon crop was affected by both weather and pests. At the beginning of the season, many areas were flooded, requiring replanting many times, which was costly.
During the growing process, the melons were affected by fungus and developed slowly. When the harvest began, there was unseasonal rain, causing the fruit to crack and explode, losing its commercial value. The yield accordingly dropped sharply, reaching only 1 - 1.2 tons/sao, down 30-50% compared to previous years.
However, what worries melon growers the most is the uncertain output. Although it is the peak harvest season, very few traders appear in the fields. Previously, every melon season, traders from Thanh Hoa, Quang Binh , and Quang Tri flocked to Thuong Tan Loc to buy melons when they were still young. But now, the fields are full of ripe melons, and when people call traders, they hesitate, pay low prices, or refuse to accept the goods.
The main reason is believed to be due to oversupply and the main consumer market is China, which is temporarily suspending the import of watermelons through unofficial channels. Meanwhile, many localities in the country such as Quang Ngai, Gia Lai , Phu Yen, etc. are also in the harvest season, causing the supply in the domestic market to increase dramatically. Combined with the cool weather, the demand for watermelon, which is considered a summer cooling product, has decreased, leading to a slump.
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In the field, the price of melons currently fluctuates from only 5,000 - 6,000 VND/kg for grade 1, grade 2 melons are lower, only 3,000 - 4,000 VND/kg and even small, ugly melons are only 2,000 VND/kg, much lower than previous years. At this price, most households do not make a profit. "I invested nearly 30 million VND in 5 sao of watermelon, now selling all these melons at the current price, I might just break even", Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc, a melon grower in Dien An commune (Dien Chau) sadly said.
Currently, melons are in their peak ripening season, with major melon growing areas producing tens of tons of melons each day. Therefore, the absence of traders to purchase makes people very worried.
A farmer in Thuong Tan Loc commune, Nam Dan, shared: “The melon crop is difficult to cultivate, now it is the peak harvest season, these melons have been naturally selected so they are sweet, red-fleshed, and very firm. So much effort has been put into taking care of them, now we just hope the sunshine lasts longer, traders increase their purchases, then we can still make a little profit.”
On social media groups, many farmers are also calling for support to help people consume watermelons. Some clean agricultural groups have connected to purchase, but the amount of watermelons purchased only accounts for a small percentage, unable to solve the output for hundreds of tons of watermelons in the fields. People hope for sunny weather so that the watermelons do not spoil further, the consumption market improves, and prices improve...
Source: https://baonghean.vn/ro-vu-thu-hoach-dua-hau-nong-dan-nghe-an-ngong-thuong-lai-10298609.html
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