Dirt cheap prices cause loss to vegetable growers

Since March, vegetable farmers in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong have been suffering great losses as vegetable prices have gone down by as much as 70 percent.

Tomatoes are now being sold to traders at VND1,000/kg, down by 50 percent compared to March. The same is true for green beans and chayote.

Le Thanh Toan, a farmer in Quang Lap Commune, said he had invested VND60 million (US$3,000) in his 0.7-ha tomato crop but had only managed to get VND2 million ($100) back.

Le Thi Xuan in Ka Do Commune said she had suffered from a VND7 million ($350) loss as cabbages’ price had fallen to only VND1,000/kg.

Traders said prices have been plunging as Ho Chi Minh City, the main consumer of Lam Dong vegetables, has found alternative suppliers who can provide vegetables at cheaper prices thanks to their closer distance to HCMC and thus lower transportation costs. – Tuoitre

Tags: Vietnam vegetable

Posted by VBN on May 19 2011. Filed under Agriculture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry