So far, in the 2024 pineapple season in Muong Khuong District (Lao Cai Province), harvesting has been underway for about two weeks. In contrast to the same period last year when almost half of the pineapple yield remained unsold in the fields and hillsides, this year's harvest has already reached nearly 80 percent. Regardless of the quantity available, traders are willing to purchase the entire harvest.
Muong Khuong District is the primary hub for pineapple cultivation in Lao Cai Province, with the commune of Ban Lau alone contributing over 90 percent of the district's total pineapple cultivation area.
According to statistics from the People's Committee of Ban Lau Commune, the entire commune has 1,700 hectares of pineapple cultivation this year, with an estimated total yield of around 20,000 tons. Local pineapple growers in Ban Lau Commune have observed that around this time last year, the selling price of pineapples to traders ranged from VND4,000 to VND5,000 per kilogram, just enough to break even. Meanwhile, if they sold pineapples to processing plants, the price was only VND3,000-VND3,300 per kilogram for first-grade pineapples. However, this year, farmers selling their produce directly from the hills to traders are fetching approximately VND6,500-VND7,000 per kilogram for average-quality pineapples and up to VND8,000 per kilogram for high-quality ones.
"The pineapple prices this year are the highest in the past 20 years, and selling has never been easier," stated Vu Thi Hoa, a pineapple plantation owner in Ban Lau Commune (Muong Khuong District). Similarly, Dang Thi Muoi, who manages a pineapple garden with over 30,000 plants in Na Ma Village in Ban Lau Commune, added, "Even the lowest-grade pineapples are being snapped up this year."
Hoa, Muoi, and many other farmers in Ban Lau Commune also revealed that this year, traders have been approaching them for contracts and deposits since the pineapple plants began to flower. With no signs of oversupply or price drops like last year, farmers are feeling optimistic. According to reports, while in previous years, the main market was cross-border trade to China, this year, the focus has shifted to supplying processing plants in the regions of Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, and Nghe An, as well as local markets in the Northern region.
The People's Committee of Ban Lau Commune estimates that the total revenue from pineapples in 2024 will reach approximately VND120 billion. Explaining the record-high pineapple prices, Mr. Nguyen Van Mao, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ban Lau Commune, cited an imbalance between demand and supply. Over the past years, plummeting pineapple prices prompted many families to abandon pineapple cultivation in favor of other crops. Furthermore, local authorities have actively promoted collaboration by establishing 14 cooperatives and cooperative groups to streamline pineapple purchases from farmers, supplying them to processing plants and wholesale markets across various regions. These cooperative efforts have ensured coordinated planning from production to distribution, mitigating instances of traders exploiting farmers through price wars, as seen in previous years.
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Lao Cai Province has announced plans to develop a brand for Ban Lau - Muong Khuong pineapples to facilitate trade promotion and expand pineapple consumption in domestic and foreign markets.
Earlier, on March 13, the Department organized a conference to discuss solutions for the development of banana, pineapple, and temperate fruit tree cultivation, linked with the production and consumption of agricultural products in Lao Cai Province for the 2024-2025 period. According to statistics, the province has a total of 2,355 hectares of banana plantations, with an annual harvest of 60,000 tons, generating over VND400 billion; 2,200 hectares of pineapple plantations, with an annual yield of 41,900 tons and a production value exceeding VND180 billion; and 4,195 hectares of temperate fruit trees, with a yield of 10,445 tons, bringing in over VND300 billion.
Mr. Nguyen Quang Vinh, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Lao Cai Province, has stated that the region is actively working to preserve the cultivation areas for bananas, pineapples, and temperate fruit trees. This includes addressing challenges faced by businesses involved in production, processing, and marketing, reviewing land reserves, and planning the development of banana, pineapple, and temperate fruit tree production areas with a market-driven approach.
