to solve the problem of good harvests but low prices

Precarious livelihood 

These days, the atmosphere of watermelon harvesting is bustling across the watermelon fields in Chien Dan and Tay Ho communes, Da Nang City. Trucks line up directly at the fields to purchase watermelons, while farmers busily cut the fruit, sort them, and transport them onto the vehicles. After many months of care, this year’s watermelon crop is considered quite favorable thanks to stable weather, few pests and diseases, and yields higher than in previous years.

However, the joy of a good harvest is not truly complete as watermelon prices at the fields currently range from only VND 3,000–4,000 per kilogram. This price is much lower than in previous bumper crops, when watermelons at times reached VND 8,000–10,000 per kilogram.

In the watermelon fields of Tay Ho Commune, Mr. Nguyen Lam was harvesting the final rows of the crop with his family. The round, glossy green watermelons were purchased directly at the fields by traders.

“Traders come directly to the fields to purchase, so farmers save a lot on transportation and labor costs for loading. At the current price, after deducting expenses for fertilizer, seeds, and care, my family still earns a small profit,” Mr. Lam said.

Not only Mr. Lam’s family, but many local households also assessed this year’s watermelon crop as favorable in terms of cultivation. According to Mr. Truong Luc, a farmer in Tay Ho Commune, watermelon cultivation this year was easier thanks to stable weather, resulting in even, beautiful fruits. However, rising production investment costs have narrowed farmers’ profits.

“Fertilizer and pesticide prices are increasing while watermelon prices are low, so farmers are not making much profit. Fortunately, traders purchase directly at the fields, easing concerns about market outlets,” Mr. Luc shared.

Encouraging production linkages

In Thanh My Hamlet, Tay Ho Commune, the watermelon production linkage model of Tay Ho Agriculture and Forestry Cooperative has initially shown clear effectiveness. Mr. Le Van Khanh is one of the households participating in the watermelon production linkage model on an area of about five sao.

According to Mr. Khanh, during the model, households are guided through clean production processes, trained in safe cultivation techniques, and supported in controlling product quality from the beginning of the crop. More importantly, the entire watermelon output after harvest is purchased by enterprises at a stable committed price of VND 6,000 per kilogram.

“Compared to selling on the free market, this price may not always be the highest, but in return, farmers feel secure because they do not worry about being pressured on prices or facing difficulties in selling products. Producing under linkage chains provides much more stable market outlets,” Mr. Khanh said.

According to many farmers, the biggest positive aspect of the linkage model lies not only in the purchasing price but also in its stability. In the context of constantly fluctuating agricultural product prices, having enterprises guarantee product purchases helps farmers significantly reduce market risks and become more proactive in production planning.

Mr. Tran Quoc Danh, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Tay Ho Commune, said that the commune currently has more than 270 hectares of watermelon cultivation. Most of this area still consists of traditional watermelon varieties produced and consumed independently by farmers through traders. At present, several enterprises are partnering with farmers to produce traditional watermelon varieties in line with organic agricultural practices. In addition, Tay Ho Agriculture and Forestry Cooperative is also cooperating with enterprises to implement a model of round-striped watermelon production under contract-purchasing arrangements.

According to Mr. Danh, striped watermelon is a new variety, not a traditional one in the locality. The linked cultivation area is currently only about 5 hectares, still quite small compared to the total watermelon area of more than 270 hectares across the whole region. However, the model has initially shown many positive signals as enterprises maintain stable purchasing activities. The locality is encouraging farmers to participate in production linkage models, but expansion is still hampered by many households’ wait-and-see attitude toward market prices.

“Traditional watermelons have at times reached VND 10,000 per kilogram, so farmers are still weighing the choice between selling freely and participating in fixed-price contract purchasing. However, market prices often fluctuate strongly, with some crops falling very low and difficult to sell, so production through linkage chains is still considered a more sustainable direction,” Mr. Danh said.

According to Mr. Danh, the locality is currently awaiting the City People’s Council’s approval of a resolution on policies supporting farmers, to replace Resolution No. 17/2019/NQ-HĐND and Resolution No. 35/2021/NQ-HĐND previously issued by Quang Nam Province, in order to continue supporting farmers participating in production linkages.

The formation of specialized watermelon cultivation areas based on linkage models not only helps stabilize market outlets but also creates conditions for infrastructure investment, proactive irrigation, technical application, and the gradual enhancement of agricultural product value.

In the context of agricultural products becoming increasingly competitive and highly dependent on the market, shifting from small-scale production to chain linkages is becoming an inevitable direction. When enterprises accompany farmers from production to consumption, farmers not only stabilize their market outlets but also gradually change their cultivation mindset toward safer, more sustainable, and higher-value agriculture.

$1 = VND 26,367 (Source: Vietcombank).