In recent days, although harvest time has arrived, dozens of hectares of watermelon in Ia Mo commune, Gia Lai, have remained exposed under the sun. Many fruits have ripened beyond use and deteriorated, leaving growers and local residents anxious. The situation is believed to stem from a purchasing dispute between traders and farmers.

At the fields, under prolonged heat, most of the vines have withered, leaving hundreds of tonnes of watermelon scattered across the ground. A few still retain their green rind, but the majority have turned yellow, softened and begun to rot, rendering them unusable.

Lam Van Sau, born in 1973 and residing in Tay Son commune, Gia Lai, said that in 2025 he and two other households rented 25 hectares of land in Ia Mo to cultivate watermelon. When the plants had just begun to flower, Bui Thi Thanh Thuy, residing in Phu Cat commune, Gia Lai, along with traders, came to negotiate the purchase of the entire area at VND17 million per 500 square meters, equivalent to VND340 million per hectare, approximately US$13,600.

After reaching agreement, Thuy’s side transferred a total of VND7.3 billion (US$292,000), in two installments to Sau’s group, leaving about VND1.2 billion (US$48,000), unpaid under the original deal.

According to Sau, when the watermelons ripened and he informed Thuy to proceed with harvesting, the traders instead proposed switching to a weight-based purchase at VND4,000 per kilogram. As this price was not accepted, harvesting was abandoned, resulting in hundreds of tonnes of spoiled fruit.

“Each crop lasts about 70 days, with total costs exceeding VND5 billion (US$200,000). Selling under the initial agreement would still bring profit. But at VND4,000 per kilogram, we would suffer heavy losses. How could we repay the bank? If prices fell, traders could have negotiated down to VND12 to 13 million per sao (500 square meters), and we might have considered it,” Sau said.

Regarding the contract, Sau explained that watermelon transactions have long been conducted through handwritten agreements without notarization. The document clearly stated an area of 500sq.m at VND17 million, with a clause that prices would not be renegotiated whether rising or falling. After signing, the buyer transferred the agreed deposit.

Meanwhile, Ha Thi Le Thu, who provided the funds for the purchase, confirmed that her mother, Bui Thi Thanh Thuy, had agreed to buy the crop and transferred a total of VND7.5 billion (US$300,000), including VND7.3 billion actually paid and VND200 million from a previous debt.

However, Thu said the watermelon yield and quality did not meet expectations and could not be exported.

“I bought the watermelon for export, not for domestic sale, so the quality requirements are high. As the fruit did not meet export standards, I proposed a purchase price of VND4,500 per kilogram and that we would bear harvesting costs, but Mr. Sau did not agree,” Thu said.

She added that while the two sides had discussed purchasing a certain area, discrepancies were found upon actual inspection compared to the initial understanding, and therefore a formal contract was never finalized.

According to Thu, many nearby farmers also agreed to sell at VND17 million per 500 square meters and received deposits of VND16 million per 500 square meters. Yet due to unusual weather affecting quality, some households accepted revised prices of VND4,000 to VND4,200 per kilogram.

Regarding the case, Tran Quyet Thang, Chairman of the Ia Mo commune People’s Committee, said that at the traders’ request, local authorities organized a mediation session. However, the watermelon-growing households did not attend, and the session could not proceed.

Thang added that given the large sums transferred under the agreement, the commune authorities have suggested that the parties may file a lawsuit in court to resolve the dispute in accordance with the law.

Tran Hoan