Farmers in the Central Highlands these days are busy collecting sweet potatoes. The yield of the crop is not as high as expected, but the selling prices are high, VND15,000-20,000 per kilogram, enough for high profits.

The prices have been escalating because of demand increases in both domestic and foreign markets, amid a supply shortage. Nguyen Thi Hoai, a farmer in Gia Lai, made a profit of VND600 million from her 3 hectares of sweet potatoes.

Durian growers also make high profits this year with selling prices once reaching VND150,000-190,000 per kilogram.

At this time, farmers can sell at VND45,000-80,000 per kilogram. Bui Van Quyen in Kon Tum province told VietNamNet that his 13 hectares of durian brought output of 300 tons, and he can pocket VND15 billion after expenses

Meanwhile, Nguyen Van Tao in Dak Mil is happy because of bountiful durian and coffee crops. He said he has never sold farm produce at such a high price.

His replanted coffee yield is 6 tons per hectare, and with the selling price of VND55,000-60,000 per kilogram, he expects revenue of VND2 billion from his six hectares of coffee. 

A report released at the conference reviewing the 2022-2023 sugarcane crop showed that sugar mills collected 9.64 million tons of sugarcane and produced 940,000 tons of sugar of different kinds. The pressed sugarcane output is 28 percent higher than the previous crop, while the sugar output is 25 percent higher.

Merchants are collecting sugarcane at record high prices of VND1.2-1.3 million per ton at the fields. With such a high price, farmers can make a profit of tens of millions of dong per hectare.

Since the second half of July, the rice prices have been escalating, once reaching s 15-year record high because of the shortage all over the globe.

Farmers in Mekong Delta provinces are collecting the autumn-winter crop rice and selling to merchants at VND8,000-8,600 per kilogram at fields.

Tran Van Huy, a merchant in Mekong Delta who has been trading rice for 20 years, said this is the first year he has seen such a high paddy price. Last year, he bought unhusked rice at VND6,600 per kilogram, but the he has to pay VND8,200 per kilogram now. The high prices allow farmers to make profits that are twice as much as last year's.

At coconut granaries in the Mekong Delta, coconuts are collected at VND70,000-80,000 per dozen, or 2.5 times higher than the price at the beginning of the year.

VN’s farm produce 

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan said that problems still exist, but the news is very good.

New records have been set in farm exports. As of September 2023, vegetable and fruit exports had reached $4.2 billion, up 71.8 percent over the same period last year. The previous record was $3.81 billion set in 2018.

Meanwhile, rice exports have brought revenue of $3.66 billion, up 40.4 percent. Currently, 5 percent broke rice is traded at $618 per ton, and the price once peaked at $650 per ton.

In August 2023, Vietnam’s coffee export price saw a record high level of $3,054 per ton, a sharp rise of 29.7 percent over August 2022. The average export price in the first nine months of the year was $2,499 per ton, up 9.9 percent over the same period last year.

Phuc Sinh’s president Phan Minh Thong said that coffee is running out, which has never happened before. The coffee price has hit a 30-year record high of VND71,000 per kilogram.

Dang Phuc Nguyen, secretary general of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association, said Vietnam has signed a protocol on exporting vegetables and fruits to China through the official channel. Meanwhile, many markets have been opened to Vietnam’s farm exports, including coconut. 

“This is a stepping stone for Vietnam’s farm exports to jump up in recent months,” he said.

Experts note that Vietnamese enterprises are shifting from border trade to full-tax exports, which is a good move because it is more sustainable. 

Tam An