Watermelons in the Dong-Xuan crop are sold at high prices. Photo credit: VNA
In the watermelon fields in Nong Truong Viet Trung town, from early morning, many people are picking and loading watermelons onto trucks to transport to the gathering point and sell to traders. Despite the extremely hot weather of over 40 degrees Celsius, the harvesting and transportation work is quite tiring, but farmers are still happy when the selling price of watermelon is high.
Ms. Bui Thi Le, a resident of Nong Truong Viet Trung town shared that this year her family planted more than 1 ha of watermelon, the weather this year is not favorable, there is not much rain, so the yield is not high, only about 25 tons/ha but in return, the selling price is high, so everyone is excited. The weather is getting hotter, so as soon as the watermelons are harvested, they are purchased by traders in the field, which is convenient for farmers.
Nong Truong Viet Trung town has long been known as a watermelon growing area in Quang Binh province. Each watermelon harvest season usually lasts about 2 and a half months. According to the local people, the watermelons here are highly appreciated for their sweetness, thin skin, and deep red flesh. The current peak heat season makes watermelon a sought-after fruit because it is a type of fruit that helps to cool the body effectively.
Trader Duong Thi Can shared that this year, the purchase price of watermelon is stable at 6,000 VND/kg. Compared to previous years, the current price is more than twice as high. Hopefully, next year, the farmers will have a high yield and stable prices so that they can continue to cultivate with peace of mind.
In this year’s crop, Bo Trach district planted about 655 ha of watermelon, mainly concentrated in Nong Truong Viet Trung town and the communes of Ly Trach, Nam Trach, and Cu Nam. To improve the efficiency and quality of watermelon, the district has directed relevant localities to plan the planting area, and at the same time, guide people to grow watermelon according to VietGAP standards to meet market demand.
Mr. Nguyen Quang Huy – Vice Director of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Bo Trach district said that watermelon is one of the main crops that bring high economic efficiency to people in many localities. In terms of long-term orientation in the coming time, the district will plan a VietGAP watermelon growing zone and guide farmers to grow watermelon in an organic direction to create its own brand. Thereby, it will both increase productivity and create premises to find a stable output for watermelon.
The watermelon fields in the localities of Bo Trach district not only bring income to the farmers but also help solve employment for many laborers throughout the watermelon season. By the time of harvest, each watermelon field requires several dozen laborers to cut and load the watermelons onto the truck. Thanks to that, these workers also earn an average of 200 -300 thousand VND/person/day.
