Rising transportation costs have made local businesses less interested in exporting carrots abroad. As a result, the price of Vietnamese fresh carrots has dropped sharply.
In Hai Duong province, farmers engage in large-scale cultivation of Vietnamese carrots. They employ advanced agricultural techniques on the fertile alluvial soils along the Thai Binh and Kinh Thay rivers. Among these areas, Duc Chinh commune in Cam Giang district stands out as the region’s renowned “carrot capital.”
The commune has planned 26 concentrated production zones covering a total area of 504 hectares. These include nine carrot-growing zones with an area of 360 hectares and an average yield of 41 tons per hectare.
Vietnamese fresh carrots
According to leaders of the province, this year’s carrot harvest in Duc Chinh commune is about one month later than usual. This delay is due to the impact of the previous storm. The quality of Vietnamese fresh carrots is better than in previous years, with brighter color and larger size.
Statistics show that this year, the commune’s carrot output is about 25,000 tons. This is an increase of roughly 5,000 tons compared to last year. Currently, the carrot harvest is in full swing. However, the price of carrots is around 6,000–7,000 VND per kilogram, down 1,500–3,000 VND/kg compared to 2024.
Mr. Nguyen Duc Thuat is the Director of Duc Chinh Agricultural Services Cooperative. He said that normally, 80% of the cooperative’s carrot output will go abroad. In the meanwhile, the remaining portion will provide for the domestic market.
South Korea is the main export market for Vietnamese fresh carrots. Currently, there are five Vietnam’s enterprises that are purchasing Duc Chinh carrots to export to this market.
This year, the price of Duc Chinh carrots has dropped compared to last year. The sharp increase in transportation costs has made exporting more difficult.
Vietnamese carrot farms
In previous years, the cost of shipping a container of carrots for export was about 35–37 million VND. This year, that cost has risen to over 60 million VND. In addition, a shortage of transport vehicles has made it difficult for business owners to hire or rent transportation.
Since harvested carrots cannot be exported abroad, prices are expected to continue falling. From the beginning of the season, the number of carrot export containers has been quite low. Trading activity has been much quieter than in previous years.
“At present, carrots exported from China to South Korea are subject to a 0% import tax,” explained Mr. Nguyen Duc Thuat. “As a result, the country of kimchi is no longer as interested in importing Vietnamese fresh carrots.”
Currently, the cooperative is encouraging local farmers to reduce the area planted with carrots. They are being advised to focus instead on cultivating other crops with higher economic efficiency. Local farmers hope that the local authorities will introduce price support policies. They believe these measures will help them overcome this difficult period.