The pineapple fields are filled with sadness.
Amidst the scorching early summer sun, the pineapple fields stretching across Ha Long, Ngoc Trao, and many other specialized pineapple-growing areas of Thanh Hoa province no longer have the bustling atmosphere of previous years. Instead of traders flocking to the fields to buy the fruit, ripe yellow pineapples lie silently in the fields, their stems withering, scorching in the sun, and eventually rotting.
For the farmers, it's not just about the pineapples being left behind, but also about the hard work, capital, and hopes accumulated over nearly two years that are gradually disappearing.
Pineapples spoiled due to the extremely hot weather. Photo: Dinh Tiep.
The family of Ms. Tran Thi Hong in Khac Dung village, Ha Long commune, invested nearly 300 million VND to plant over 2 hectares of pineapples. After more than a year and a half of care, when harvest time arrived, the family was filled with anxiety. To date, they have only earned about 50 million VND from selling the pineapples, while most of the land remains unsold.
Looking at the rows of ripe, red pineapples that no one was harvesting, Mrs. Hong could only stand silently. In previous years, her phone would ring constantly with traders calling to inquire about the produce. But this year, everything has become eerily quiet. The longer the pineapples sit, the lower their quality becomes, but even then, no one is buying them.
In Gia Mieu village, Ha Long commune, Mr. Nguyen Van Hoa is also going through stressful times. Over 20,000 to 30,000 pineapples are ready for harvest, but there's virtually no market for them. While last year, each 10,000 pineapples brought in over 100 million dong in revenue, this year the value is only a small fraction of that.
Locals spend tens of millions of dong to buy nets and tarpaulins to provide shade for their pineapple plants. Photo: Dinh Tiep.
With each passing day, the number of pineapples suffering from sunburn and rotting increased. His family proactively contacted numerous traders, accepting low prices, but still couldn't find buyers. Meanwhile, the costs of fertilizer, labor, and care continued to rise, causing the losses to grow larger and larger.
Many households have spent tens of millions of dong buying nets and tarpaulins to protect their pineapples from the sun, hoping to extend their shelf life. However, the prolonged heat has rendered these temporary measures ineffective. Many pineapples still suffer from burnt skins, reduced quality, or rot right in the fields.
The pineapple fields in Ngoc Trao commune are barren. Photo: Dinh Tiep.
What saddens the people most is that the price of pineapples has now fallen to a record low. The best quality pineapples are only selling for about 4,000 - 5,000 VND/kg, while at the same time last year they ranged from 9,000 - 13,000 VND/kg, and at times even reached 15,000 VND/kg. This 50 to 70% drop in price means many households don't have enough money to hire laborers for harvesting.
Therefore, in many fields, people have to accept letting ripe pineapples fall and rot in the fields instead of harvesting them and selling them below production cost.
The recurring problem of "bumper harvest, low prices" and the challenge of market access.
According to traders, the main reason for the difficult sales situation this year is the sharp increase in supply in many localities. Not only Thanh Hoa province, but also major pineapple-growing regions such as Nghe An and Ninh Binh have expanded their production areas, causing a sudden surge in the amount of pineapples released onto the market at the same time.
Meanwhile, purchasing power did not increase proportionally. Major consumers in the South reduced their imports, causing a slowdown in the flow of goods. As a result, although pineapples had a bumper crop, they faced oversupply and prices plummeted.
Pineapples are piled up in the garden waiting to be bought by traders. Photo: Dinh Tiep.
In Ha Long commune, the area planted with pineapples is currently about 700 hectares, with an average yield of 40-45 tons/ha. This is one of the largest pineapple growing areas in Thanh Hoa province. In recent years, pineapple cultivation has provided a fairly stable income for the people, helping many households escape poverty and become wealthy.
Thanks to suitable soil conditions, Ha Long pineapples are famous for their large size, evenly spaced eyes, rich sweetness, and juiciness. The pineapple ripening season lasts from April to July every year, with May and June being the peak harvest months.
However, the joy of this year's bountiful harvest was quickly overshadowed by the problem of finding markets for the produce.
Besides pressure to sell their produce, pineapple growers also face harsh weather conditions. Prolonged heatwaves cause fruit scorching in many areas, reducing appearance and quality. In addition, early-season pest and fungal diseases also increase losses.
In Ngoc Trao commune, which has a large pineapple growing area in the province, many households are facing similar difficulties. Ms. Ho Nga from Van Bao village said that at the beginning of summer, her family invested more than 50 million VND in buying shade nets for the pineapples. Even so, nearly half of the yield was still damaged by the sun.
Ms. Ho Nga, from Van Bao village, Ngoc Trao commune, looks dejected in her pineapple field, where the crop has failed and prices have plummeted. Photo: Dinh Tiep.
The price of pineapples is only fluctuating between 3,500 and 5,000 VND/kg, much lower than in previous seasons. With over 10,000 pineapples ready for harvest, Ms. Ngan's family estimates their losses at over 100 million VND.
Many other households have as many as 40,000-50,000 pineapples but are still unable to harvest them because traders are either refusing to buy them or forcing prices down too low.
In reality, pineapple cultivation in Thanh Hoa province is still heavily dependent on traders. When the market is favorable, farmers earn a considerable profit. However, if purchasing power decreases or supply exceeds demand, almost all the risks fall on the shoulders of the producers.
According to agricultural statistics, Thanh Hoa province currently has over 4,000 hectares of pineapple plantations with an annual production of 130,000-150,000 tons. However, only about 30% of the production is sold through contract farming agreements. The majority still depends on the free market and the system of traders.
Meanwhile, processing capacity remains limited. The entire province currently has only a few medium- and small-scale pineapple processing factories, which are insufficient to handle the large volume of products during the peak harvest season.
Faced with the reality of thousands of tons of pineapples piling up in the fields, local authorities are urgently assessing the damage and connecting with businesses, supermarkets, and processing facilities to support the consumption of the product for the people. However, this is only a short-term solution.
Over 4,000 hectares of pineapple in Thanh Hoa province face a year of crop failure and falling prices. Photo: Dinh Tiep.
In the long term, for pineapple to truly become a key crop and provide sustainable income, a strong supply chain from production to consumption needs to be established. Expanding long-term contracts, attracting businesses to invest in deep processing, and developing pineapple products such as juice, canned pineapple, pineapple jam, or processed foods will help reduce the pressure on fresh consumption.
The lessons from today's pineapple fields once again show that the worry of "bumper harvest, low prices" is far from over. With unstable markets, farmers still have to gamble with the market after each harvest. And in these pineapple fields turning yellow with ripening fruit, the growers' sorrow stems not only from rotting pineapples, but also from the anxiety about an uncertain future.
Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/trai-ngot-hoa-dang-บน-dong-dua-d815433.html
