Despite adverse weather and high fertilizer prices, thanks to the high season and high pepper prices, chili growers in Quang Ngai still won big.
Chili is a crop chosen by people in many districts and towns of Quang Ngai province to grow in the winter-spring crop. Usually, the pepper growing areas will be sown around November of the lunar calendar. The care process will last for 4 months to harvest the first litter.
This is the beginning of the chilli harvest. Walking along the fields that specialize in growing chili peppers in Tu Nghia, Mo Duc, Son Tinh and Binh Son districts (Quang Ngai), farmers are busy harvesting chili peppers. The fields of chili until the bright red cover are now half empty. Under the scorching hot sun, farmers still laugh and talk happily when the price of chili has increased recently, their efforts are being rewarded.
With her hands quickly picking ripe red peppers, Ms. Le Thi Anh (living in Nghia Hiep commune, Tu Nghia district) excitedly said that compared to last year, the price of chili this year has increased by 2.5 to 3 times this year. so almost everyone has a high profit. In particular, about half a month ago, 1kg of chili was purchased for up to 35,000 VND. After the first batch of harvesting, growers have regained their investment.
In this year’s winter-spring crop, the family of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hoa (residing in Binh Nguyen commune, Binh Son district) planted 3 sao of chili (500m2), starting sowing from the 11th lunar month. Total investment is about 10 million VND. According to Ms. Hoa, this year fertilizer prices are high and the weather is unfavorable, so the cost of pest control also increases compared to previous crops. In return, chili is priced so people are no longer worried. Compared to half a month ago, the price of chili has now decreased to 22,000 VND/kg. However, at this price, chili growers have also made a good profit.
“This year chili has a good season, the price is good, the Chinese market consumes strongly, so chili is sold very well. Every day I harvest about 50kg, earning more than 1 million VND. Just harvested the first 10 days, I have already recovered my initial investment. Hopefully in the coming time, chili will still keep this price so that farmers can make a profit and regain the lost capital in previous crops, “said Ms. Hoa.
If the price remains the same as it is today, farmers will earn tens of millions of dong per pole of chili. Photo: Le Khanh.
According to research, if the chili plant still grows well and is not affected by pests and diseases, the harvest time will last about 4 months and be divided into several phases. Each installment will be collected continuously for nearly 1 month. On average, 1 sao of chili, if it is productive, at the end of the cycle, farmers will harvest about 1 ton of chili. With the selling price still maintained at the current level, farmers earn a profit of nearly 20 million dong/sao.
However, chili farming is still considered by farmers as a “gambling” of luck. Because winning or losing depends on the trader. The price of chili has always been very precarious, when traders need to buy a lot, when consumption increases, the price will be increased. On the contrary, when traders narrowed the consumption market, the price of chili fell dramatically, even at times the price was only a few thousand VND/kg. At such times, chili growers have to suffer empty-handed.
According to information from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Quang Ngai province, in the winter-spring crop from 2022 to 2023, the province planted more than 878ha of chili peppers. Although this year’s chili crop is good, the price is good, but so far, the consumption of chili in the locality still depends mainly on the Chinese market, which is quite precarious.
Therefore, in order for chili to grow stably and sustainably, both in terms of planting area, price and consumption market, Quang Ngai needs to form an area specializing in chili cultivation in the direction of commodity production. In addition, searching and connecting establishments and businesses to sign contracts to consume products, avoid the situation of massive planting and falling into the scene of good seasons and devaluation.
According to Nongghiep.vn
