Durian growers face difficulties due to adverse weather

(GLO)- Over the past month, prolonged rains have caused many difficulties for hundreds of durian growers in the western region of Gia Lai province. The quality of the fruit has decreased sharply, and the purchase price has plummeted, causing heavy losses for farmers. Enterprises and cooperatives have also encountered difficulties in purchasing and exporting.

Many gardeners in the western part of Gia Lai province are worried because the durian crop is facing unfavorable weather.
Photo: NS

Reduce quality and price

Durian growers in localities such as Ia Grai, Chu Prong, Chu Se, Chu Puh, Chu Pah, Ia Phi... are worried because the harvest season is coming to an end when the weather is unfavorable. Continuous rains cause the durian flesh to become hard, the quality to decrease sharply, causing the purchase price to plummet, putting many farming households at risk of loss.

At the beginning of the season, traders came to the garden to buy durian at prices ranging from 40,000-70,000 VND/kg depending on the type. However, up to now, the price has dropped sharply, only about 17,000-20,000 VND/kg due to poor quality.

In Ia Phi commune, Mr. Nguyen Van Mam, owner of a durian garden of 200 trees, shared: “The family harvested about 5 tons in the first harvest, selling for 70,000 VND/kg. But in the second harvest, due to prolonged rain, many fruits were hard and could only be sold for 20,000 VND/kg. If it continues to rain, the next harvests will be even more severely affected.”

A similar situation also occurred in Ban Tan village, Chu Prong commune. Mr. Chau Van Oanh said: “My family grows 200 Thai durian trees organically. This year, 60 trees yielded fruit, with an estimated yield of about 10 tons. However, too much rain has reduced productivity, forcing traders to lower prices to only 10,000-20,000 VND/kg. With an investment of more than 200 million VND for the whole garden, selling at this price is not enough to cover costs.”

Mr. Tran Van Chinh's family (Yang village, Chu Prong commune) harvests durian. Photo: ND

In Yang village (Chu Prong commune), Mr. Tran Van Chinh plans to harvest 15 tons of Thai durian. However, traders only pay 15,000-17,000 VND/kg. "If the price continues to be this low, this year's crop will definitely suffer heavy losses," Mr. Chinh worries.

According to Mr. Ngo Anh Tuan, an agricultural official of Chu Prong commune, the whole commune currently has about 800 hectares of durian, of which 600 hectares are in the business stage. “Before the harvest, traders paid quite high prices, but due to prolonged rain, the rice was hard, so now it is only 17,000-20,000 VND/kg, and it is not easy to sell. Most people just hope to recover their investment capital,” Mr. Tuan shared.

Not only affecting growers, the unfavorable weather also causes difficulties for cooperatives and businesses that are involved in purchasing, processing and exporting durian. Mr. Le Van Thanh - Director of Ia Mo Nong Agricultural Production, Trade, Service and Tourism Cooperative - said: "Cooperative members are currently cultivating more than 300 hectares of organic durian. Although we have fully prepared warehouses and purchasing plans, when checking the early harvest gardens, we found that many fruits were hard, greatly affecting the ability to preserve, consume and export in the coming time."

Long-term solutions needed to cope with climate change

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment, the province currently has more than 7,900 hectares of durian, of which about 3,000 hectares are being harvested, with an estimated output of 42,000 tons. The area is mainly concentrated in the western localities of the province such as Chu Puh, Chu Se, Chu Pah, Chu Prong, Duc Co, Ia Grai and Dak Doa.

Mr. Chau Van Oanh (Ban Tan village, Chu Prong commune) is worried because durian quality has decreased and prices have plummeted. Photo: ND

Durian is a crop with high economic value but is also very "difficult". Heavy rain during the harvest period not only causes the rice to become hard and reduces the quality of the fruit but also affects the ability to consume, especially for export.

Faced with increasingly extreme weather conditions due to climate change, local authorities recommend that people produce sustainably. Specifically, prioritizing organic farming, enhancing technical measures, investing in storage systems, and post-harvest processing to maintain fruit quality in adverse weather conditions.

Durian is hard due to prolonged rain, the purchase price is now only 17,000-20,000 VND/kg but it is not easy to sell. Photo: ND

Mr. Trinh Quoc Thanh - Vice Chairman of Chu Prong Commune People's Committee - said: "Unfavorable weather combined with a sharp drop in durian prices has greatly affected people's income. We encourage people to continue to maintain their existing gardens and not to rush to cut down durian trees because of low prices. In the long term, organic and biological production is the inevitable path to serve the sustainable export market."

Mr. Nguyen Cong Son, Chairman of the People's Committee of Ia Phi Commune, said: "The locality will continue to coordinate with specialized agencies to disseminate and guide appropriate care techniques, and encourage the application of technology in cultivation and preservation. The goal is to reduce risks, stabilize output and improve durian quality."

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/nguoi-trong-sau-rieng-gap-kho-khan-vi-thoi-tiet-bat-loi-post562255.html