The sweet potato market is favorable, with traders coming directly to the fields for purchases. This has not only brought a significant income to the people but also sent a positive signal for local agricultural production.

Recently, Mrs. Nguyễn Thị Hoa’s family in Đồi Cao hamlet, Thanh An commune, has mobilized all members to harvest sweet potatoes. This season, her family planted more than 3,000 square meters, an increase of over 1,000 square meters compared to the previous season. Mrs. Hoa shared that sweet potatoes are drought-resistant, require less labor for care, and provide better economic returns compared to rice on the same area. The material and fertilizer costs for sweet potatoes are also lower than for maize or rice, while the yield is relatively high, averaging around 1.3 tons per 1,000 square meters.

“To date, my family has harvested nearly half of the planted area. This year, the weather has been favorable, so there have been fewer pests, and the yield is higher than in previous years. Not only are we having a good harvest, but the price of sweet potatoes this year is also higher than in previous years, by VNĐ 2,000 to 3,000 per kilogram. Traders are coming directly to the field to buy them. At this time, the wholesale price for traders is from VNĐ 8,000 to 13,000 per kilogram at the field, while the retail price at the market ranges from VNĐ 10,000 to 15,000 per kilogram, depending on the type. With these prices, farmers are making a profit, and everyone is happy and excited to harvest,” Mrs. Hoa shared.

Sweet potatoes from Thanh An are famous for their delicious taste and aroma, and are well known by people both inside and outside the province. Their yield and value are higher than many traditional crops like maize and rice, so recently many people have switched to growing sweet potatoes.

Mr. Lê Anh Tuấn, Vice Chairman of the Thanh An Commune People’s Committee, said that in recent years, farmers in the commune have boldly converted less productive rice fields into sweet potato farms. Currently, the entire commune has over 70 hectares of sweet potatoes. This year, both the harvest and the price are good, and the people are very happy. To ensure high yields and stable income from sweet potatoes, in addition to transferring scientific and technical knowledge to farmers, the commune has been working to strengthen linkages for consumption and ensure the output for sweet potatoes.

For many years, Thanh Nưa commune has been one of the areas with the largest sweet potato cultivation areas in Điện Biên district. At this time, farmers are focusing on the main harvest.

Mrs. Lò Thị Xiến’s family in Thanh Nưa commune has been planting sweet potatoes on nearly 4,000 square meters of land. She shared that with the price of sweet potatoes ranging from VNĐ 8,000 to 13,000 per kilogram depending on the type, her family earns between VNĐ 15 and 20 million. Compared to other crops, sweet potatoes are easier to grow and maintain, and their market is stable. In the future, her family would continue to convert low-yield land to sweet potato cultivation.

With a good harvest and high prices, farmers no longer worry about the output, as traders come directly to the field to buy. Some traders even place deposits before harvest. Mr. Nguyễn Văn Ánh, a trader in Điện Biên Phủ City, said: “This year, many businesses and consumers have placed orders for Điện Biên sweet potatoes, so I am coming directly to the field to buy them. The potatoes are fresh, and I can select the best ones. After that, we transport them to other provinces like Hà Nội, Thanh Hóa, Nghệ An, and even to the Southern provinces.”

In addition to Thanh An and Thanh Nưa communes, Điện Biên district has also planned sweet potato cultivation areas in other communes along the canals and those outside the valley, such as Hua Thanh and Núa Ngam. In recent years, many people have shifted from planting maize and cassava to sweet potatoes due to their economic benefits. If in 2021, the district planted nearly 100 hectares of sweet potatoes for the winter-spring season with a yield of over 1,000 tons, this year, the district has over 200 hectares, with the yield doubling, concentrated in communes like Thanh An, Thanh Nưa, and Hua Thanh. With the current prices, sweet potatoes have brought high income to the farmers. Those who plant large areas earn between VNĐ 50 and 60 million, while those who plant smaller areas still earn from VNĐ 10 to 20 million.

According to Mr. Nguyễn Hồng Thắng, Deputy Director of the Division of Agriculture and Rural Development of Điện Biên district, to help farmers improve the yield and quality of sweet potatoes, the department has been coordinating with relevant specialized agencies to organize training and transfer technology for sweet potato cultivation and care. They are also building high-quality sweet potato cultivation models. In addition, the district is strengthening linkages in production and consumption. The district will continue to implement the effective planning of concentrated sweet potato cultivation areas and increase the application of scientific and technical advances to improve productivity and income per unit of land. It will also enhance promotion and expand the consumption market, gradually building Thanh An and Thanh Nưa sweet potatoes into a typical OCOP product for the locality.

Although Điện Biên sweet potatoes are highly regarded and the consumption market has been stable with high prices in recent years, local authorities advise farmers not to expand cultivation too rapidly, as this could lead to oversupply and price drops, as has happened with some other agricultural products. The story of “rescuing” agricultural products in Điện Biên district is not unprecedented. Currently, there are no factories or companies in the province that guarantee the output for local sweet potatoes, and the output still depends on traders from other regions.

Therefore, farmers need to choose sweet potato varieties with clear origins, master cultivation techniques to increase productivity and product quality, and proactively adopt sustainable farming practices while linking with businesses and cooperatives for consumption.