Thousands of farmers in Khanh Vinh is facing great difficulties due to the sharp drop in the price of cassava...
Thousands of farmers in Khanh Vinh are facing great difficulties due to the sharp drop in the price of cassava, only a quarter of the price last year. A large amount of cassava are left unharvested as it is unmarketable. Cassava growers are tackling consumer problems.
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| Cassava is unmarketable with sharp price drop. |
Sharp price drop
Cassava is a main cereal crop of ethnic minority people in Khanh Vinh District. The annual area of cassava is kept at 1,000 - 1,200ha.
However, due to price hike last year, many farmers decided to expand its production area up to over 1,830ha.
However, the steep drop in cassava sale prices with few consumers have threatened cultivators' life. Cassava costs VND500-700/kg, down from VND3,000/kg last year.
Cao Dien, a farmer in Khanh Vinh Town, has 2ha of cassava, from which he earned VND24 million last year. He suffers from a complete loss this year in spite of a bumper crop.
The sale price is so low that it cannot compensate for growers' investment in cultivation and harvest. Some have shifted to other crops. Many are struggling to earn a living by collecting bamboo sprout or working for other people.
Standstill in consumption
Hundreds of cassava farmers are in the same difficult situation. However, no solutions have been found yet.
According to Khanh Vinh District Bureau of Agriculture & Rural Development, only 500ha of cassava has been harvested.
Farmers do not want to harvest the remaining area because the price is so low, only VND500/kg of fresh cassava and there are no buyers.
Reportedly, cassava buying businesses in Khanh Vinh District in particular and Khanh Hoa Province in general are working moderately.
An increase in supply caused by a bumper crop usually leads to a decrease in price and also a decrease in growers' incomes.
Proper measures are required to support farmers who are facing a high risk of starvation during the between-crop period.
N.T
