Vĩnh Long farmers struggle with low King orange prices

Vĩnh Long farmers struggle with low King orange prices

Farmers in Vĩnh Long Province are facing challenges due to the low prices they always get for king orange due to oversupply and complete reliance on the domestic market.

A trader purchases king oranges in Vĩnh Long Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

Farmers in Vĩnh Long Province are facing challenges due to the low prices they always get for king orange due to oversupply and complete reliance on the domestic market.

According to the province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, 24,790 hectares are under orange and they produce 1.2 million tonnes of the fruit annually.

The king orange is the most popular variety.

Võ Văn Phúc, a farmer in Tam Ngãi Commune, has 2,000 square metres of king orange intercropped with coconut.

In the last three years the price of the orange has stayed at VNĐ1,500–VNĐ3,000 per kilogramme, causing him heavy losses.

Phạm Văn Soạn, another farmer in Tam Ngãi Commune, said he leased 20,000 square metres of king orange farms for cultivation six years ago at VNĐ4.5-5 million per 1,000sq.m per year, and had to stop leasing the land recently due to the long period of low fruit prices.

According to some farmers growing the fruit, it costs VNĐ 250 million to grow one hectare, and despite a high yield of 70 tonnes per hectare per year, with the selling price of only VNĐ1,500–VNĐ2,000 per kilogramme, losses exceed VNĐ100 million. 

For farmers renting land, the loss could top VNĐ200 million a year.

Many locals are switching to other fruits from king oranges.

Vĩnh Long Province's cultivation of the fruit is mostly small in scale and it is sold mainly to the domestic market through traders.

According to Lê Văn Đông, deputy director of the province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, to deal with these challenges the province plans to upgrade the king orange value chain involving reorganisation of production, meeting GAP, organic or OCOP standards, supporting traceability, improving packaging, and promoting deep processing.

It is also promoting clean and organic farming, calling on individuals and organisations to research and transfer processing methods for value-added products and seeking investment in orange-based foods and juices.

It is establishing production-consumption cooperatives and encouraging traders to join as partners.

Cooperatives receive support to sell king oranges with VietGAP and organic certification on e-commerce platforms and link up with businesses to stabilise prices.

The goal is to improve production coordination, stabilise prices and reduce risks for growers.

Cooperatives are provided with training in market access, value chain links and the use of IT.

The Climate-Adaptive Smart Agriculture Value Chain Development Project funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development is being implemented in the province, and is expected to contribute to connecting the various players in the chain and promoting production towards sustainability.

Vĩnh Long has set a target for 2030 to create certified production areas with OCOP products and efficient cooperatives, gradually moving from small-scale production to a closed value chain. 

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