In Dak Ha commune, Quang Ngai (formerly Kon Tum), Minh harvested about 28 tons of Le Can sweet potatoes from her three hectares, earning 350 million dong. After deducting costs, her profit was about 160 million dong, a one-third reduction compared to last year.

About 1 km away, Hai also cultivated three hectares but only harvested 26 tons, generating 308 million dong in revenue. Her profit was approximately 130 million dong, nearly one-half less than the previous season.

The price of Grade 1 Le Can sweet potatoes currently stands at around 17,000 dong per kg, a 30% increase from the same period last year and more than three times the price recorded in april. However, this increase has not significantly improved growers' profits.

According to Minh, prolonged rain and erratic weather led to poor tuber development and smaller sizes. The proportion of Grade 1 sweet potatoes in her garden decreased from about 65% last season to below 50% this year. Hai also reported a higher proportion of Grade 2 sweet potatoes compared to Grade 1.

Consequently, not all harvested produce can be sold at high prices. At Hai's farm, large tubers were purchased by traders at 17,000 dong per kg, but medium-sized tubers fetched only 11,000 dong, and small tubers around 5,000 dong. When the proportion of small and medium tubers increases, a higher price for Grade 1 sweet potatoes does not necessarily mean growers earn more money from their total yield.

Rising input costs further pressure profits. Farmers reported that fertilizer prices have been 15-20% higher since early this year, while labor costs for planting, care, and harvesting have increased by about 20% compared to last year.

Sweet potatoes being harvested at a farmer's garden in Dak Ha commune, Quang Ngai. *Photo: Thi Ha*.

Low harvest yields have also been observed in the procurement process. Mai, a sweet potato trader in the Tay Nguyen region, stated that she currently collects about 10-12 tons of Le Can sweet potatoes daily, a decrease from the 15-20 tons collected during the same period last year. Through visits to farms in the Kon Tum area, she noted low yields in some locations; one garden of nearly 8 sao yielded only about 7 tons.

According to Nguyen Hoai Tam, Director of the Quang Ngai Sub-Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, the province currently has about 1,017 hectares of sweet potatoes, with an estimated annual yield of 15,255-20,340 tons. The western region accounts for nearly 80% of this area, primarily concentrated in Ia Chim, Dak Mar, Dak Ha, and Dak Uy communes.

Explaining the increase in Grade 1 Le Can sweet potato prices during september-october, which at times reached 17,000 dong per kg, Tam attributed it primarily to seasonal factors and supply-demand dynamics. When the harvest volume or the number of tubers meeting quality standards decreases while demand remains high, prices for premium produce can increase.

However, this price does not reflect the overall selling price for the entire yield. The actual price growers receive depends on the tuber size, quality, and the proportion of each grade in the total harvest. Therefore, even with an increase in Grade 1 sweet potato prices, growers' revenue and profits can still decline if yields are low, the proportion of standard-grade tubers decreases, and input costs rise.

Tam added that heavy rain or waterlogging during the tuber formation and development stages can affect yield, quality, and the proportion of Grade 1 sweet potatoes. When the quantity of tubers meeting standards decreases, the supply of goods that can be sold at high prices also shrinks. The extent of weather impact needs to be assessed for each growing region and harvest period.

Thi Ha