Vietnam: better days found in tomato plains

Situated at the foot of Langbian Plateau, the endless tomato plain has beckoned many people to move there and set up their life. Most of them are from the central provinces of Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, Binh Dinh and Dac Lac, but there are also some people from D’ran, Chau Son, Bong Lai, Di Linh, Madagui, and Da Lat of Lam Dong Province.

The life of these people has been poor and unstable, and many are re-locating themselves in the Tutra-Da Ron area, in Don Duong District, the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, in order to earn a living. The more farmers that came, the more the tomato growing area was enlarged to supply both fruits and seedlings. Growers rent farmers’ unused land to build new tomato farms.

They chose their piece of land, dug a well for living, and spent most of their time focused on growing tomatoes. It’s not surprising that with the rich soil and their hard work, the tomatoes grew quickly, producing large crops. The breeds of tomato they produce come from America and Thailand, and produce high quality fruit with smooth skin and delicious taste.

It is estimated that one ha of tomato has about 25,000 plants, one of which can produce 2.5-3 kg of tomatoes. If the price of tomatoes is at VND4,000 per kg, a farmer can make a profit of VND180-200 million in 12-16 weeks. Each day, the tomato plain supplies 150 tonnes for Ha Noi and 250-350 tonnes for HCM City.

Instead of building houses with their earnings from the tomatoes, the growers live in tents surrounding the plain. They keep their money in the bank, and some will invest in tomato farms.

However, the over development of tomato farms leads to the lack of seedlings. Recently, seedling providers from Thailand announced that they didn’t have seedling 556 anymore, a seedling considered to be good breed with no disease. As a result, the farmers have to buy breeds 910, 40, and 385 from Kim Cuong of America.

Another thing that worries farmers is the weather. In the rainy season, the danger of a fungal infestation is high, and it brings disease to the tomatoes. "Tomatoes easily make farmers become rich, but it also easily takes away everything they have," said Nguyen Truong Tinh, one tomato farmer.

To add to their problems, the price of tomatoes has become quite unstable, and the farmers sell their tomatoes every day without any contracts or business partners. In recent months, while lots of people have got richer, the trend of the tomato’s decreasing price is making the farmers’ trade a risky business.

Source: vnagency.com.vn