Huynh Van Quan, deputy director of Tan Thanh Sweet Potato Cooperative in Vinh Long Province’s Binh Tan District, said that the price of Japanese purple sweet potatoes in the Mekong Delta provinces had stayed at high level of VND820,000-860,000 per quintal (1 quintal = 60 kilograms) during the past few days.
Farmers in the Mekong Delta provinces grow various kinds of sweet potatoes in order not to depend on China market. (Photo: SGGP)
However, as purple sweet potato is currently out of season, its output is not much, therefore only a few farmers have benefited from this high price level of purple sweet potatoes.
According to Mr. Quan, farmers have started to grow sweet potatoes again in provinces in the Mekong Delta. However, as they had learned many lessons from trading with Chinese traders, although the price of purple sweet potatoes is currently high, they did not cultivate purple sweet potatoes massively like before because consumption depends on China market. As a result, the area of purple sweet potatoes merely increased slightly. Meanwhile, many farmers have shifted to grow various varieties of sweet potatoes for domestic consumption with prices ranging from VND300,000-500,000 per quintal which ensure stable profits for farmers.
