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Price of sweet potatoes climbs; benefits sprout for local growers
With strong demand from China, the price of sweet potatoes has climbed, and along with it, farmers’ incomes.
Farmer Nguyen Van Nam of Vinh Long Province’s Binh Tan District said his earnings of US$4,217 this year after harvesting were enough to send his children to school.
Another farmer, Nguyen Van Nho, also of Vinh Long Province’s Binh Tan District, said prices in past years were VND2,000-3,000 ($0.12 – 0.18) per kilo but this year rose to VND 6,000 ($0.36).
His family has planted 10,000 sq.m of purple sweet potatoes and is expected to earn about VND200 million ($12,000).
Most of the potatoes had been sold to the Chinese market. Many buyers have visited the Cuu Long (Mekong) River Delta to buy the potatoes, which they then export to China.
Huynh Van Kha, a businessman in Vinh Long Province’s Binh Tan District, said he exported 30 tonnes of sweet potatoes to China for VND 6,000 ($0.36) per kilo.
According to Nguyen Van Tri, an official at Binh Tan District’s agricultural office, sweet potatoes fields are more valuable than manioc, sesame and rice, with an average income of VND22-24 million ($1,325 – 1,446) per 1,000sq.m.
Tri said that the district’s total area of sweet potatoes was 3,400ha and would increase to 4,000-5,000ha next year.
VNS
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