To cope with soaring prices, many farmers and fishermen have proactively adjusted their production methods.

Fishermen maintaining the struggle at sea

Amid rising fuel prices, instead of scaling back production, many fishermen have proactively adjusted fishing methods, flexibly adapting to maintain fishing alongside livelihoods.

Fisherman Nguyen Dinh Thanh (Hoa Hiep ward) said that even though oil prices has increased to over 30,000 VND/liter, his family still perseveres in going to sea because it is their main income source. His vessel has a capacity of 420 horsepower; previously, each fishing trip lasting 15-20 days, consuming about 1,500-2,000 liters of fuel. At present, to optimize costs, he has decided to bring about 2,500 liters of fuel, extending time at sea to reduce the number of trips back to shore, while hoping to increase the catch to offset costs.

Coffee growers switching to direct irrigation controlling water levels and minimizing pump operating costs.

According to fishermen, each fishing trip not only ensures a livelihood for 7 to 10 direct laborers on board but also creates jobs for many workers in the fisheries logistics sector. Despite numerous difficulties, maintaining fishing operations remains a top priority.

To reduce fuel costs, many boat owners have boldly invested in and applied technology in fishing. For example, they have installed fish finders to determine location of fish schools, depth, and seabed structure, thereby shortening search time, saving fuel, while improving fishing efficiency. In addition, LED lighting systems have replace traditional lights in light-fishing to reduce energy consumption.

Meanwhile, fisherman Nguyen Van Thang (Phu Yen ward) chose a more suitable option for his family's production conditions: switching to fishing near the shore to reduce fuel costs. Simultaneously, he focused on adjusting vessel speed appropriately while using the onboard equipment economically to minimize fuel consumption.

Farmers earning profit through labor

To cope with soaring prices, farmers have also proactively switched irrigation methods to minimize fuel burden.

One of the most effective solutions is switching from diesel-powered generators to using 3-phase electricity. Mr. Nguyen Huu Chuong (Dlie Ya commune) said that his family has nearly 2 hectares of coffee intercropped with pepper and durian. He invested in a 3-phase electricity system for farm use, significantly reducing costs compared to irrigating with diesel generators as before. His family also temporarily stopped the automatic sprinkler irrigation system to return to direct irrigation at the base of the trees. Although this method requires more labor, it improves water efficiency while maximising fuel savings.

According to calculations by coffee farmers, on average, each year the crop requires 4 to 5 irrigation cycles to ensure concentrated flowering and fruit setting. With all input costs escalating, “labor for profit” is always the choice of farmers as a temporary solution to maintain family income.

In reality, faced with fluctuating fuel prices, farmers alongside fishermen are no longer passive but have proactively adjusted the scale, timing, and methods of production. Although these solutions cannot completely solve the difficulties, they have contributed to reducing cost pressure, maintaining fishing operations, stabilizing livelihoods, and continuing production in conditions of fluctuating fuel prices along with many other input costs.

Translated by TRINH THUY