Although productivity decreases compared to every year due to unfavorable weather, but thanks to the high price, the gardeners are excited.
Pepper output plummeted
These days, Mr. Tran Du’s family (hamlet 1, Bau Lam commune, Xuyen Moc district) and 3-4 workers spread the net for the 2.2ha pepper garden. Mr. Du said that this year’s target came later. At this time last year, his family’s pepper garden was harvested but this year, in the middle of February, he had just given a net and was about to harvest. The reason is that in the process of growing, the wrong weather is unfavorable. The time to handle the tree flowering, the intense sunshine lasts and the drought causes the flowers to fall, the rate of fruit beans is very low. Pepper growers must also handle and carefully fertilize. Therefore, late ripening and harvesting are also 1 month later.
According to Mr. Du, his family’s pepper yield fell by about 50%, estimated to be only about 5 tons. Not far away, 4 sao of Mr. Le A’s family only estimated to harvest about 2.5 tons, down 50% compared to last year.
In Chau Duc district, the situation of crop failure due to the influence of the weather caused the gardens to reduce productivity. 1.5ha pepper garden of Mr. Ho Van Thu’s family (Loc Hoa hamlet, Binh Gia commune) is entering harvest. From the beginning of the week until now, his family has gained 5 quintals. According to Mr. Thu, this year’s pepper, his family is expected to only collect about 3.5 tons of pepper/1.5ha, down nearly half compared to every year.
Mr. Nguyen Hanh, Chairman of the Farmers’ Union of Binh Gia Commune, said that the area of pepper growing in the commune is increasing, currently only about 50 hectares compared to before. This year’s harvest is slower, the output also decreased by half compared to every year due to adverse weather. “Pepper growers depend on the weather. Therefore, in the coming time, the locality continues to support farmers to train care techniques, not expand the massive area but focus on quality and aim to build organic pepper, sustainable development ”. , Mr. Hanh said.
High pepper price
On the morning of February 16, the survey showed that the price of pepper stood at VND 160,000/kg, down about 2,000 VND compared to February 15. Despite slightly decreased, but compared to the middle of 2024 to now, the price of pepper has increased by about 60 thousand VND/kg, the highest in recent years. High selling price helps people excitedly enter the new harvest because with this price farmers are still profitable.
Mr. Ho Van Thu, Binh Gia commune, Chau Duc district said that this year, although the pepper garden achieved lower productivity than every year, the price of pepper is high, so people grow pepper still profitable. “With the estimated harvest of about 3.5 tons, after deducting expenses, my family still earns about 100 million. This is the motivation for farmers to invest in the next case, ”Mr. Thu said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Tran Du (hamlet 1, Bau Lam commune, Xuyen Moc district) calculated, with about 5 tons/2.2ha, if sold for 160 thousand VND/kg as at present, except for his family expenses The profit is about 200 million.
In the 2025 crop, the whole province has more than 10,370 ha of pepper, of which nearly 10 thousand hectares are harvesting; Estimated more than 25,000 tons. On average, 1ha of pepper for about 2 tons, down 50% compared to every year. However, with the current high price, after deducting expenses, farmers profit from 200-300 million VND/ha.
It is expected that by the end of February 2025, pepper gardens will be harvested.
