It is estimated that around 50,000 tonnes of king oranges in Vinh Long Province are in need of consumption and agencies have now stepped in to help growers to find a market for them as over supply is leading to very low prices.
The head of the Division of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tra On District in Vinh Long Province said that one serious challenge is a lack of experience among first-time orange farmers. Before the Tet holiday, the price of king oranges was at VND8,000-10,000 per kilo (US$0.34-0.42), but they refuse to sell their crops in hope for higher prices. However, after the wait, the oranges become overly ripe now, and thus enduring a price drop to only VND2,500-3,000 a kilo ($0.1) reports www.sggpnews.org.vn
The area of orange orchards in Vinh Long Province was 17,000ha in 2022, a rise of nearly 3,000ha compared to 2 years before, a 30-percent increase.
The local authorities are cooperating with Vinh Long Province Farmers Association and related agencies to seek possible outputs for the unsold fruit and the upcoming harvested ones.