Agricultural products consumption in the Mekong Delta faces less difficulties

Merchants are still expected

In Kien Giang, according to Mr. Le Huu Toan, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development: The problem of harvesting labor and means of harvesting has been resolved, but consumption is still slow. In particular, some aquatic products have reached their harvest period, but yet to be sold such as giant freshwater prawns, cobia, blood cockles, sea crabs, etc. The expected output in August for farmed shrimp and marine fish is 12,900 tons, blood cockles 3,000 tons, sea crabs 3,500 tons.

Also according to Mr. Toan, twenty price-stabilizing selling points for essential items of the Provincial Post Office located in commune and ward's post offices only manage to sell 2-3 tons of vegetables per day on average. In accumulation, these selling points have only sold over 21 tons of goods.

Particularly, the Center for Farmer Support and Vocational Education has helped farmers and fishermen consume 700kg of fish and squid; 1.3 tons of cucumbers; 500kg of squash, bitter melon; 700kg of taro, 2 tons of sticky corn and 100kg of ginger on August 8th.

In Ben Tre, fruits and vegetables are consumed by traders, but generally at low prices and slowly. Ben Tre province still has a large output of fruit ready for harvest, but travel and harvesting labor is still challenging, so the output is at a high risk of congestion. Currently, Ben Tre has a large output of green skin pomelo, longan, rambutan, durian... at about 2,000 tons

At Ben Tre Green Skin Pomelo Cooperative, for the past few days, most of the raw material areas are located in restricted areas due to identified Covid-19 cases, so the cooperative had to stop operation. Many farmers' pomelo outputs are at a standstill.  According to Mr. Minh, a business representative of the cooperative, said: Because most of the traffic in the restricted areas is difficult and the stockpile has not been completed, the cooperative's operation had to stop. Many ripe pomelos could not be consumed.

According to Mr. Doan Van Danh, Director of Ben Tre Department of Agriculture and Rural Development: Merchants have temporarily stopped purchases due to difficulties in the transportation between areas. Additionally, some industrial coconut processing and purchasing establishments cannot guarantee the "3 on-site" regulation, so the consumption of coconut is limited. Most farmers produce on a small scale, so connection to the output is still limited and difficult. As a result, farmers harvest at a reduced price, accepting loss or no profit.

Big difference between farm produce in the garden and in the market

After many days of social distancing, in some large and small local markets, although the price-stabilizing market model was implemented, retail prices for food, vegetables and fruits from the garden to the market price rose, and the difference is quite high.

At green vegetables growing areas in the suburban districts of Can Tho city, water spinach is abundant, and sold for 10,000 VND/kg, but retail price at district market is 15,000 VND/kg. Free-range chickens and ducks are priced 120,000 VND/kg, but sold for 130,000 - 140,000 VND/kg at the market. Siamese duck price from 70,000 VND/kg has increased to 100,000 VND/kg.

Meanwhile, some fruits are still struggling, the demand for local consumption is low, so the retail prices drop sharply in small markets, rural markets in the morning session. Peach pink plums are sold at the garden for 10,000 VND/kg, wholesale 1 pack of 10/kg for 100,000 VND but retailed at 20.00-25,000 VND/kg.

Currently, some longan orchards in Thoi Lai and Co Do districts (Can Tho), farmers have difficiulties finding output, so the selling price at the garden are: Ido longan 8,000 VND/kg, longan canoe 10,000 VND/kg, bar longan VND 20,000-25,000/kg, papaya 6,000 VND/kg…

According to some small-scale vegetable farming households, it is not possible to bring vegetables to the commune or district market using two-wheeled vehicles as before, due to Covid-19 controlling checkpoints. It's very strict, so they mainly sell produce within the neighborhood.

A vegetable farmer in Dai Tam commune, My Xuyen district (Soc Trang) said that cotton chives are sold for 7,000-8,000 VND/kg in the field, hiring workers to cut, sell and transport costs an additional 5,000 VND/kg, but at the market. these are sold to consumers for 24,000 VND/kg.

Mr. Nguyen Hai Dang, Chairman of the People's Committee of Phuoc Lap commune, Tan Phuoc district, Tien Giang province said: Currently, due to the implementation of Directive 16, people are not allowed to leave their house. However, in order faclitate production, there is a directive in the district that allows rice producers to leave their house once a week to visit the fields. Farmers produce vegetables every 3 days. Regarding the harvest of agricultural products, depends on the type of produce, harvest as quickly as possible.