Farmers in Dak Nong did not have an enjoyable Tet because of coffee crop failure and a coffee price drop. As a result many farmers have decided to chop down coffee plants, while others have had to borrow to money...

The domestic coffee price dropped from 23,700 dong per kilo in early February to 22,500 dong per kilo on February 23, a sharp decrease of 1,500 dong per kilo.

Meanwhile, the petrol and oil prices increased two times within one month. The latest price increase of 590 dong per litre on February 21 has made farmers miserable.

Farmers now have to water coffee plants since it is now the dry season, and higher oil and petrol prices mean higher cost which burden the poor farmers.

“The God gave rain before Tet, which helped us keep going until now,” Nguyen Van Thanh, 41, told Tuoi tre reporters. “Coffee plants are fading. We have to water them immediately,” he added.

Thanh has 4,000 coffee plants and he has to use two watering machines and hire two persons to water both day and night. In order to ensure enough water for coffee plants in the dry season, Thanh will have to water 100 liters of water for every plant.

“Coffee price drop, oil price go up, investment cost goes up. We are sure to make a loss if we pour money into coffee plants,” Thanh complained.

“We need nine coils of hose (500 metres per coil) to bring water to the coffee fields high in the hills,” said Nguyen Van Tuong, 56. “Every hour of watering gobbles 2.5-3 litres of oil. We have to borrow money to purchase oil to fuel the process of watering plants,” Thuc, said sadly.

Meanwhile, many others are fed up with coffee plants. Sinh, a farmer, said that he was going to chop down his 500 coffee plants. “We will grow other plants. We cannot bear such a high loss with coffee plants any more,” he said.

Besides the coffee fields being watered, there are many uncared for fields. Local residents told Tuoi tre reporters that as plants are about to be chopped down and they do not need care any more.

Thang, 34 in Dak Sak said that he will not waste money on coffee plants any more, but he will grow vegetable, breed fish or livestock. “If I grow vegetables, I will be able to earn 7-10 million dong per every 360 square meter of land.”

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