Farmers are excited to harvest
These days, farmers in the Central Highlands provinces are entering the pepper harvest season with a spirit of optimism and excitement because of high prices and the open output market. For example, the family of Mr. Pham Van Hanh, in Dak Song district (Dak Nong province) is harvesting 1ha of pepper. According to Mr. Hanh, his family's pepper has a relatively stable yield, estimated to earn more than 4 tons.
" Pepper prices have increased the highest in the past 8 years, now exceeding 160,000 VND/kg. With more than 4 tons of ponds consumed, my family estimates to earn more than 640 million VND, after deducting expenses, we will make a profit of over 500 million VND," Mr. Hanh said excitedly.
In Nam Yang commune, Dak Doa district, these days, workers are enthusiastically harvesting pepper in the fields. Ms. Mai Thi Lan in Nam Yang commune said: " Pepper is the main crop of farmers, after the Lunar New Year, pepper prices range from 145,000 - 160,000 VND/kg, at times up to nearly 170,000 VND/kg. Traders come to buy at high prices, everyone is happy because they have a good harvest.
Improving the effectiveness of pepper plants
In reality, properly cultivating, harvesting, drying, and preserving are improving the quality and value of products. For example, Binh Minh Cooperative (HTX) cooperated with more than 1,000 farmers to produce over 1,420 hectares of pepper, with an output of over 3,030 tons/year. Of which, 250 households with 484 hectares, with an output of 680 tons/year have achieved Rainforest Alliance certification.
Mr. Le Anh Son - Director of Binh Minh Cooperative - said that in recent years, traders have purchased Dak Nong pepper at higher prices than other provinces. The reason is that farmers apply scientific and technical methods, especially focusing on harvesting, drying and preservation, helping to improve product quality. "We instruct sustainable production techniques to help farmers avoid being forced to pay prices. At the same time, providing market information and sales skills training helps people sell at better prices," Mr. Son shared.
Similarly, Mr. Pham Ngoc's family (Dak R'lap district) is harvesting 2 hectares of pepper and said that harvesting at the right time and preserving it properly helps improve product quality.Thanks to that, his family's expenses are always paid higher by traders by about 3,000 VND/kg.
According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Dak Nong province, pepper is the main crop with an area of about 34,000 hectares, leading the country.The average yield is 2.4 tons/ha, with a total output of about 70,000 tons.
The locality is promoting green, sustainable agricultural production, aiming to enhance economic value and build brands. Currently, about 3,154 hectares of pepper in Dak Nong have met international and domestic standard certifications.
In Gia Lai, pepper is about 17,000 hectares, sometimes up to 18,000 hectares. Many households have switched to organic farming, limited pesticides, and selected quality varieties, helping to increase productivity to 2.5-3 tons/ha, higher than traditional methods.
Mr. Luu Trung Nghia - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Gia Lai province - said: "To make the pepper export industry sustainable, State agencies need to orient the development of planning for growing areas with appropriate areas. People should not grow spontaneously, leading to output exceeding demand, or poor quality pepper. Enterprises must cooperate with people to consume products, proactively apply modern irrigation technology to organic crop production. The functional sector must also strictly control the quality of plant varieties and pesticides on the market. Thus, organic pepper will develop sustainably, earning attractive profits".
