The Central Highlands is in the planting season of pepper, a key agricultural product. After a wave of breakdowns, bankruptcy, and house sales because pepper prices fell dramatically in mid-2020, what do Central Highlands farmers need to calculate for this year’s pepper crop?
Wooden poles for sale to grow pepper in Chu Se district. Photo of T.Tuan
Chu Se district is the “capital” of pepper cultivation of Gia Lai province with a total area of nearly 3,000 hectares and an output of over 11,000 tons/year. These days, walking along Highway 14, it is easy to see traders selling pepper planting poles and pepper varieties everywhere.
Mr. Nguyen Van Lanh – resident of Dun commune, Chu Se district said: “From April to June this year, the price of pepper has increased continuously, the current price of 70,000/kg has prompted farmers to rebuild pepper plants. This year’s harvest season almost all pepper garden owners are profitable. Now people want to invest in replanting pepper gardens after many years of neglect, hanging signs to sell land because pepper prices have dropped.”
Ms. Ho Thi Tinh, a resident of Hbon commune, Chu Se district, said the sad thing is that a large area of pepper growing land is polluted. Soil is contaminated after a long time people use pesticides and fertilizers are not reasonable. And the status of pests and diseases, fungal infections … causing pepper to die.
The financial resources of farmers are already exhausted after a period of crop failure and falling prices. The situation of indebtedness and bank loan repayment also made many farmers wary and afraid to start replanting pepper.
“But if they don’t know how to replant pepper, the land will fall to wasteland, and farmers can only work as hired laborers in the South. The price of pepper will increase again, which will make people try to replant pepper in a more sustainable and organic way, “said Ms. Tinh. ا
People go to buy pepper seeds in the “capital” of Chu Se pepper. Photo of T.Tuan
Mr. Hoang Phuoc Binh – Standing Vice Chairman of Chu Se Pepper Association said that because in the past few years, pepper prices are very low, so the more investment in pepper gardens, the more losses. When investing in replanting the garden, gardeners should note that they should not replant on dead old pepper gardens, choosing the right soil for the growth of pepper plants.
People need to choose good pepper varieties, so intercropping is better than pure planting. Should grow pepper on live poles, leave grass in the pepper garden, do not clean the grass. Take care of pepper gardens in the direction of biological organic so that pepper gardens develop sustainably and are less susceptible to pests and diseases.
“People should not use old pepper columns that have been infected with fungi, if they are used, they must be cleaned and disinfected before planting,” Mr. Binh said.
In fact, a large number of pepper products over the past time have not met the standards for export to demanding markets such as Europe under the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the European Union (AVFTA). Because there are residues of pesticides, according to Mr. Binh, pepper farmers need to follow organic sustainable production for long-term development.
Some households in Chu Se district have grown according to the organic model, but currently there is no competent authority to appraise, inspect and survey to issue a license to certify that the product meets the standards.
A representative of Chu Se Pepper Association said that it can be confirmed that in the next few months until the end of this year and the following years, the price will gradually improve and it is likely that by the end of the year the price will reach from 90,000 to 100,000. VND/kg.
According to the Chu Se Pepper Association, the history of the pepper market has experienced many ups and downs. The most recent cycle from 2001-2006 was a downward price cycle, bottoming out in 2006. Since then, the price started going up until 2015, the price peaked at over 200,000 VND/kg of pepper.
From 2016 pepper prices started to go down until 2020, the price bottomed, peaking in April 2020 pepper price was only 34,000/kg. From about April 2021 up to now, pepper price started a price increase cycle, currently up to 70,000 VND/kg, pepper is forecasted to continue to increase to 100,000/kg until the end of the year, prices will increase cyclically.
According to the Thanh Tuan (Labour Newspaper)
