In Lam Dong Province, Vietnam, the peak avocado harvesting season has arrived, but many orchard owners are not harvesting their crops. Instead, they are allowing the avocados to fall naturally and are even removing trees to plant different crops. This situation is particularly noticeable with the 034 avocado variety, native to this region.
Nguyen Van Su, a resident of Bao Lam District, shared his experience of investing in an avocado orchard under VietGAP standards in 2018, only to face plummeting prices in recent years. Currently, prices range from VND2,000 to VND5,000 per kilogram, insufficient to cover the basic costs of orchard maintenance.
Loc Ngai Commune's Farmers' Association Chairman, Ho Hai, reported a high yield of approximately 500 tons this year. However, the low buying price, ranging from VND2,500 to VND3,000 per kilogram, has led to a lack of enthusiasm among farmers for harvesting.
The significant drop in avocado prices has prompted some farmers to switch from avocado to other crops. Vu Thi Trang, a farmer from Loc Chau Commune, recounted the drastic change from the high prices of a few years ago to the current low rates, which forced her to replace avocado trees with coffee trees.
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Lam Dong Province notes that over 8,000 hectares of avocado trees are cultivated in the province, predominantly the 034 variety. Despite an annual yield of around 80,000 tons, market absorption remains limited, with only a fraction being purchased by enterprises and small-scale buyers. Efforts are underway to promote sustainable avocado consumption and market development, including identifying potential buyers and distribution channels in major cities.
[ VND10,000 = € 0.37 ]
Source: en.sggp.org.vn