Another avocado crop failure, low price

Avocado growers in the province are worried because this year's avocado crop is a failure and the price is not good.

According to statistics from the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Bao Lam district - where the avocado area is large in Lam Dong province, by the end of 2024, the locality had 1,256 hectares of avocado, mostly 034 and Booth varieties; avocado yield is estimated at 13 tons/ha; total avocado output of all kinds is 13,500 tons. Through a quick survey in localities, the Department of Agriculture of Bao Lam district assessed that this year's avocado yield and output will decrease by 20-30% compared to 2024. The reason is that avocado trees encounter continuous rain during flowering, many areas are affected by frost, causing low fruit set rate. On the other hand, avocado prices have continuously decreased over the past 2-3 years, causing farmers' economic expectations for this crop to no longer be the same as before, farmers have reduced investment costs, causing the quality of their gardens to decline.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong's family in Loc Ngai commune, Bao Lam district is currently cultivating more than 1 hectare of 034 avocado. She said that her family's avocado garden only produces about a dozen tons of fruit, a sharp decrease in productivity compared to previous years. The reason is that the weather is not favorable, it rains and is windy during the flowering period of the 034 avocado tree, so the amount of fruit is low. However, what worries Ms. Hong's family the most is that the purchase price of 034 avocado this year continues to be low, only from 10,000 - 15,000 VND/kg in the garden, making farmers almost have no profit. The retail price at stores and fruit selling points fluctuates around 25,000 - 30,000 VND/kg. According to Ms. Hong, the price of avocado has decreased mainly due to the decrease in market consumption. In addition, previously, 034 avocado was only grown in Lam Dong , but now it is present in most of the Central Highlands provinces, with a very large area.

Meanwhile, in Lam Ha district, avocado productivity has also decreased sharply. In 2015, realizing that Booth avocado trees were economically efficient, Mr. Nguyen Quang Long's family in Hoai Duc commune, Lam Ha district boldly invested tens of millions of VND to buy 200 seedlings to intercrop in a coffee garden on an area of ​​over 2 hectares. By 2018, Booth avocado garden had harvested tons of avocados, with an income of up to more than 200 million VND. However, this year's avocado crop, the yield decreased by about 30% and the low avocado price made him extremely worried.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Lam Dong province, the province currently has about 9,500 hectares of avocado; of which, 6,600 hectares are being harvested, achieving an average yield of 15 tons/crop/ha. The total annual avocado output is estimated at about 105,000 tons, with 034 avocado accounting for 80%, Booth avocado accounting for 10%, and other avocado varieties accounting for the remainder. In previous years, the province's avocado acreage increased sharply, but in the past 2 years it has tended to decrease as farmers began to make the switch.

In order to promote agricultural product consumption and open up more opportunities for farmers, the unit has also coordinated with the supermarket system MM Mega Market, Bach Hoa Xanh to launch the Lam Dong Avocado Promotion Week in Ho Chi Minh City. Accordingly, during the week, two famous avocados of Lam Dong, Wax avocado and Booth avocado, are discounted up to 50%, only 35,000 - 55,000 VND/kg. The event is an opportunity for enterprises, cooperatives producing, processing and trading agricultural products of Lam Dong province to exchange, discuss, share, inform and seek partners such as distributors, supermarket systems, stores... in Ho Chi Minh City to find solutions to build supply chains for quality agricultural products of Lam Dong province to the Ho Chi Minh City market.

This is one of the specific actions to promote the consumption of agricultural products in the highlands in general and Lam Dong in particular, which is suffering many impacts due to unstable prices and high transportation costs. At the same time, it creates a basis for linking and developing a comprehensive, sustainable and modern agriculture. This is also an opportunity to connect and promote agricultural products of Lam Dong province to a large number of people in Ho Chi Minh City, domestic and foreign tourists.

On the other hand, the authorities recommend that farmers should not rush to destroy avocado orchards that are producing good yields and quality. Instead, farmers should consider renovating and taking better care of their avocado orchards to ensure better yields and product quality.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/kinh-te/202505/them-mot-vu-bo-mat-mua-mat-gia-ebc430f/