Implementing the resolution of the BCH, the Vietnam Pepper Association held a large-scale pepper survey taking place in 2 rounds. Phase 1 from December 1 to 2, 2020 in the province of Dong Nai and Ba Ria – Vung Tau. Phase 2 from December 15-18, 2020 in Binh Phuoc, Dak Nong, Dak Lak, Gia Lai. These are the two key areas with pepper growing areas accounting for more than 90% of the country’s pepper area.
1. Purpose
In the context that Vietnam is the leading country in the global pepper production and export output, the implementation of surveys to assess pre-season output and yield is always a concern of experts. especially pepper exporters for their upcoming business strategy. Through the survey tour, factors of cultivation process, development direction, inventory volume, ability to maintain pepper gardens and the impact of weather, pests and care were also relatively assessed. . From there, it helps businesses participating in the survey to find opportunities to cooperate with farmers and agents to supply quality products suitable for production and business activities of enterprises.
2. Composition of the mission
– Vietnam Pepper Association Office.
– Representatives of 14 pepper trading businesses participated in phase 1 and 13 participating in phase 2.
3. Results
After interviewing a number of farmers and agents and directly surveying pepper growing gardens, the results of the assessment of the pepper situation in the surveyed areas are as follows:
Phase 1: Dong Nai and Ba Ria – Vung Tau
Compared with Xuyen Moc district, the area of pepper in Xuan Loc, Cam My and Chau Duc districts decreased significantly due to the low price of pepper, farmers limited investment in taking care of pepper gardens, the area of pepper died and was old. are replaced by other crops. Newly planted acreage was observed only in the Xuyen Moc area but the number is negligible. The model of raising manure using manure for pepper is quite popular in Dong Nai area, thus helping farmers to save costs and increase income. It is this source of income that makes the farmers in Dong Nai less financially pressured and thus the inventories of the surveyed households remain. However, this figure is quite modest and belongs to farmers who cultivate pepper gardens for a long time with well-off economic conditions. The remainder is said to have sold out to buying agents.
The biggest concern for pepper farmers in Dong Nai and Ba Ria – Vung Tau currently is the high labor cost. This is a factor directly related to production cost and affects farmers’ decision to maintain pepper orchards or re-invest or not. With the current pepper price of about ± 54,000 VND / kg while the labor cost ranges from 200,000-230,000 VND / worker / day, pepper farmers still face many difficulties.
Although the area decreased, most pepper gardens in Dong Nai and Ba Ria – Vung Tau provinces cultivated in a clean, sustainable manner, using manure and organic fertilizer as the main reason, minimizing the use of manure. chemistry and pesticides. The reason is partly because farmers cannot afford to invest in the context of low prices and, above all, increased awareness of the people. Therefore, pepper is expected to have good quality in the next season.
According to local farmers, pepper output in the 20/21 crop could decrease by 30-40% compared to the previous year due to sudden drought at the time of flowering and the lack of investment makes the chain. serrated and sparse. However, the survey team assessed that pepper production in 2 provinces could be reduced by 20-25%. At present, it is not possible to give an estimate of the specific pepper output of the Southeast when the survey scope is only representative and the new statistical area data for the whole region has not been reported.
In addition to farmers, the survey team also visited two major agents and a pepper export cooperative in Dong Nai province. It is recorded that the amount of inventories in stock is still much, not including the quantity sold but not yet exported. The situation of high freight rates and no room on board makes a large amount of inventory impossible to release.
Phase 2: Binh Phuoc – Dak Nong – Dak Lak – Gia Lai
Bu Dop – Binh Phuoc: Noted a sharp decline when the number of old pepper gardens occupies the majority of the area. In addition, the reasons from the lack of investment, care, disease and weather are gradually contributing to the narrowing of pepper area in the province. According to Mr. Bui Quoc Hai – Chairman of Hung Phuoc Cooperative – the harvested output in the 20/21 crop of the cooperative decreased compared to the previous crop, specifically the output in 2021 of the cooperative harvested was estimated at 90-100 tons, compared to 2020. production reached 300 tons and in 2019 reached 400 tons. In addition to the reduced harvested area due to disease and aging, the remainder, although being cared for, still lacks fruit. Meanwhile, newly planted areas were not recorded. According to Mr. Hai, there is very little inventory in the people, only in the hands of a few households with good economic conditions. For Mr. Hai’s 5 ha of pepper alone, although there are bonuses for products that are nearly as organic as last year, with the current price, the revenue can only offset 50% of the cost. However, 100% of the cooperative’s harvested products are nearly organic, which is also a good thing in the context that import markets such as Europe have increasingly stricter regulations on residue levels.
Dak R’Lap, Dak Song, Dak Mil – Dak Nong: This is the region with the largest pepper area and highest productivity compared to other pepper growing regions in the country. Most of the area is nursery gardens under 10 years old, in the period of good productivity. However, extreme weather has affected pepper gardens in Dak Nong similarly to other regions such as short chain and serrated. Even some orchards have been observed to show that the plants grow very well but do not grow. Through survey information, pepper yield in the 20/21 crop among districts Tuy Duc, Dak R’Lap, Dak Song and Dak Mil decreased with different degrees, but the average figure decreased by 15-20% in the province. Dak Nong is rated the lowest in the country. Loss of crops, low yield in the next season will likely push up higher labor costs, which is the concern of most pepper farmers. Agreeing with surveyed farmers, agents said that the output of crop 20/21 generally decreased and that at present, the stock of agents and farmers is not much.
Cu Kuin, Buon Ho – Dak Lak: It is a picture of Pepper with 2 quite different colors between Cu Kuin and Buon Ho districts. Although pepper productivity in Cu Kuin district has been assessed to be reduced, many remaining good gardens are still being invested and cared for. According to Mr. Nguyen Manh The – Head of the Farmers Association of Ea Ning commune, in the 20/21 crop, pepper production in the commune can be reduced by up to 30% due to the sparse chain and serrated, the newly planted area is not worth it. said, the inventory of 100 members in the branch is about 20%. Buon Ho Tx showed more gloomy colors when the death rate was not less than 50%. Area of dead pepper has been gradually replaced by coffee and some other crops.
Gia Lai: The districts of Chu Se, Dak Doa, and Mang Yang all recorded a sharp decrease of about 50% in the harvested area compared to the peak period in 2017. Nam Yang cooperative alone, the remaining pepper area was about 20 ha out of total. number is nearly 60 hectares. In 4 villages of Hai Yang commune, Dak Doa, there are only village 3 of 20 households, showing that pepper trees are well maintained, cultivated organically. Pepper area of the remaining villages in the commune is almost wiped out. Accordingly, the pepper output of Gia Lai crop 20/21 is expected to decrease by 60% compared to the peak year.
4. Conclusion and recommendation
After summing up the opinions of the survey team, they agreed on the findings as follows:
Phase 1: Dong Nai, Ba Ria – Vung Tau
Along with the area decrease due to lack of care, Dong Nai pepper production may decrease by 25% and BRVT by 20% in crop year 20/21. Inventory remains in some households with good economic conditions, agents and speculators. The movement of clean and sustainable pepper production has been and is being expanded. However, in order to maintain production and re-invest in pepper gardens, the labor cost factor is considered and considered by farmers.
According to the recommendations of some exporting enterprises, purchasing agents are also interested by exporters to assess inventory and thereby express their wish to expand the scope of surveying agents in the schedule. Upcoming survey of the Association.
Phase 2: Binh Phuoc, Dak Nong, Dak Lak, Gia Lai
Pepper output of Binh Phuoc province can be reduced by over 50%; Dak Nong decreased by 20%; Gia Lai decreased by 60% compared to its peak period in 2017. Dak Lak province alone cannot be reliably assessed because the survey is representative only in Cu Kuin and Buon Ho districts and productivity shows differences between region. However, a 30% drop in pepper production in Dak Lak province is entirely possible. In the whole country, pepper production in Vietnam in 2021 can decrease by 25-30% compared to 2020.
According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs: In 2020 the country will export about 286,000 tons, with an estimated turnover of US $ 663 million, up 0.6% in volume but down 7.2% in value compared to 2019. .
Recommendation of the VPA: Request the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and related departments and departments to direct the local Department of Agriculture to make a full statistics on the area of pepper killed by pests, diseases, barren, and low productivity. change to other crops and the actual total area of pepper currently in the provinces.
VPA
