Agricultural stagnation: Farmers nod yes, authorities reject

Abandon the whole orchard due to consumption problems

Farmers in Gia Lai Province are harvesting rambutan, custard apple, avocado, durian, and Thai jackfruit. Consumption, however, is hampered by the pandemic's deleterious effects on Covid-19.

Le Cong Hung owns 1.5 ha of durian, avocado, and papaya trees in Thanh Ha 1, la Hrung commune, la Grai district. He was obliged to let ripe fruits fall naturally throughout harvest seasons since the pandemic has brought consumption to a halt.

He said that he had put all of his resources into the orchard, which is also his primary source of income. As a consequence, the family's living is precarious when the fruits are unsellable and interest on bank loans must still be paid.

Hung said that after failing with pepper tree harvests, the family invested heavily in orchards intending to progressively overcome obstacles.

However, durian harvesting has not yet begun, and although avocados provide a large output, the price is too low, about VND3,000-4,000 per kilogram, making them unsellable. Now, the family must survive only on the papaya tree.

Hoang Thanh Nghia, of Chu Puh district, had similar problems, stating that his small avocado orchard is unfit for eating. This year, he plants five hectares of avocado and produces about 15 tons of fruit, but he is unable to sell a single kilogram. Although the price of avocado has dropped to between VND 2,000 and 4,000 per kg, no merchants have come to purchase the fruits.

As Nghia notes, avocados are mostly eaten in the Southern area, but with the uncertainty surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic, merchants are unable to come and purchase and carry the fruits. Nghia chose to abandon almost half of the avocado growing area in favor of sweet potatoes.

Tring Khac Duong, director of Dak Krong Agriculture and Service Cooperative in Dak Doa, stated that a recent study revealed that ten cooperative members were having difficulty obtaining yield for their crops. Even a family is cultivating over 200 custard apple trees that yield up to 1.5 tons of fruit during harvest seasons, yet there are no customers. In only a few days, it will be unable to be sold, and the whole family garden would be deemed gone.

As with fruits, vegetable products are in a precarious position due to their inability to be eaten or receiving insufficient nutrients. Although An Phu commune (Pleiku city) has the biggest vegetable land in Gia Lai province, current consumption is barely one-third of what it was before the pandemic.

While walking through An Phu commune, which is densely packed with merchants, we observed that the consumer market is also depressed.

It's tough to overcome obstacles

According to Pham Khac Nam, head of Ia Hrung Commune (Ia Grai District), merchants used to visit orchards during the harvesting season to purchase fruits.

However, as a result of the present pandemic crisis, the neighborhood is also required to tightly control individuals entering and exiting the area, posing many problems for local commerce.

Additionally, the cost of goods acts as a barrier, resulting in a bottleneck in agricultural product consumption. Previously, 1 kilogram of guava was sold for between VND 15,000 and 20,000, but the market price is currently just VND 5,000, with no purchasers.

The reason for this is that supply is growing at a faster rate than market demand, resulting in restricted trade.

Currently, the commune contains about 70 hectares of fruit trees, with a concentration on durian, avocado, and guava... despite the difficulties in consumption, which has impacted people's lives in part.

Phan Dinh Tham, director of Agriculture and Rural Development in la Grai district, said that the consumption of all agricultural goods, especially fruits, is experiencing some problems owing to Covid-19.

However, the quality of goods remains the primary factor affecting consumers' purchasing power; in an era when consumers are progressively expecting higher standards, inferior products are undoubtedly difficult to sell.

In the next years, the district will modify its production plan to reflect the sustainable value chain's connecting structure, as well as collaborate with local agencies to boost agricultural consumption and improve circumstances for agricultural product suppliers in the area.

According to Nguyen Van Mao, Head of the Trade Management Department at the Gia Lai Department of Industry and Trade, there is no agricultural product backlog in Gia Lai province at the moment, based on daily data from 17 districts and towns.

To address the current situation in which people are unable to consume agricultural products, Mao stated that the Department of Industry and Trade will work with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to determine the current quantity of agricultural products and the area of orchards from which people can obtain consumption directions.

Currently, the Gia Lai Department of Industry and Trade is developing the project "Innovation in agricultural product consumption linkage" for 2025, with a view to 2030, and presenting it to the Provincial People's Committee for approval. Once this project is authorized, agricultural production will create a sustainable chain, and consumers will no longer have to worry about product quality or market availability.

Currently, the Gia Lai Department of Industry and Trade is developing the project "Innovation in agricultural product consumption linkage" for 2025, with a view to 2030, and presenting it to the Provincial People's Committee for approval. Once this project is authorized, agricultural production will create a sustainable chain, and consumers will no longer have to worry about product quality or market availability.