One more fruitless cashew-nut crop!

Many owners have to use rod to pick cashew-nut in stead of picking up like every year.

An Vien Commune- a specialized cashew-nut area of Trang Bom District where is mostly planted by high-yield seeds and applied caring technologies quite well, we listen to many people’s groans: this year cashew-nut productivity reduces drastically. Mr. Nguyen Van Rung-Chairman of Commune’s Farmer Union said productivity of this crop is only equal to 50 percent compared to last crop. Sample is 4 hectares of his own garden, though it has been looked after carefully from fertilizer to pesticide, blooming-stimulus and fruiting, still fruitless. The same period last year, his garden cropped 4 tons of seeds while only 1 ton in this year. He said “mine is till better, while many here just shed leaves in coming season without blooming. This crop is considers none”.

This year, productivity of cashew gardens without good caring in blooming period also reduced drastically, sample as 1.5 hectares of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hue- Thua Duc Commune, Cam My District. Last crop, Mrs. Hue collected 2.1 tons of seeds while she mostly cropped but not get to 5 quintals of seed this year. Like Mrs. Hue, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tam- Long Phuoc Commune, Long Thanh District estimated to crop approximately 3 quintals (equal to one quarter) compared to every year. She said she got serious loss in this year; I hired this garden with the price of 4 million plus to 6 million total payment of grassing, fertilizer, but cropped only 3 million, lost over 3 million. Mrs. Tam added most gardens in communes also have been seriously in failure of crop. Not only An Vien, Thua Duc, Long Phuoc but also many places in districts: Thong Nhat, Tan Phu, Dinh Quan in the same situation. Mr. Bui Dinh Buoi- head of economic bureau of Thong Nhat District said productivity of this crop reduced 20 to 40 percent compared to last crop 2006. He remarks “Depending on land and caring, the rate reduced little or much. The gardens in red soil with good caring also reduced about 20 percent of productivity, but much in black and grey soil. According to cultivator, productivity of normal year in the sandy black and grey area   is also lower than the red area. Just only 2007, productivity of this area reduced at least 40 percent compared to every year

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Tam in Tap Phuoc Village, Long Phuoc Commune, Long Thang district cropping cashew-nut.

Dinh Quan District has about 11.000 hectares including 8.500 hectares cropping, it is in the second position of province, but according to preliminary estimation of economic district bureau, the average productivity in this year could only get 6-7 quintals per hectare, decreases 40-50 percent because of hot weather that made cashew flowers dry and fruitless. To gardens shed leaves without flowering are due to deficient fertilizer caused redundant in protein while potassium is better.

There are over 50.000 hectares of cashew-nut in the whole province but productivity can reduce about 40 percent compared to last year and price is also low. At the beginning, price at garden is 10.000-10.500 VND per kilo but until now it downs to 9.400-9.600 VND, lower than 1.000 VND. The owners only get below 7 million per hectare in this crop.

(Translated by THKC)