Sweet potato growers in Vietnam are devastated by crop failure, prices drop more than 60%

Published Apr 2, 2024

Tridge summary

In Kon Tum and Gia Lai, Vietnam, sweet potato farmers are experiencing severe losses due to a mix of adverse weather, reduced yields, and plummeting prices. The enthusiasm from last year's high profits led to an increased planting area, only for this year's crop to suffer from extended periods of heat and poor soil management, damaging up to 50% of the produce. Compounded by a significant drop in demand from China and low domestic consumption, prices have drastically fallen, leaving many farmers unable to cover their costs. Some are even considering abandoning their land after the current harvest season.

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Original content

Ms. Hai in Dak Ha (Kon Tum) said that the sweet potato harvest is at its peak but is not happy because of "the loss of crop and the loss of price". Last year, one hectare of potatoes harvested 18 tons, sold for 16,000 VND per kg, earning 280 million VND. This year, she collected 15 tons, of which 5 tons were damaged due to adverse weather and prolonged heat. At a price of 6,000 VND per kilogram, each hectare of potatoes at Ms. Hai's house only earned 60 million VND, a loss of 40 million. Similarly, Mr. Hoan in Gia Lai said he rented 5 hectares of land to grow potatoes. But because of poor soil, his family's potato field only reached 12 tons per hectare, down 40% compared to last year. "Investment capital was borrowed from the bank. It was difficult to rotate to the next crop, so the family decided to return the land after harvesting," Mr. Hoan said. In the same situation, hundreds of households in Kon Tum and Gia Lai are struggling with this year's potato crop. Currently, if each ...

Source: VNExpress