“If the situation of intensive farming and abuse of pesticides is not stopped, Vietnam will not only lose the pepper brand with a revenue of 1 billion USD per year, but thousands of farmers will fall into nothing. suffering,” said Mr. Le Duc Huy, Deputy General Director of 2-9 Import-Export Company Limited in Dak Lak.
Many markets refuse to import
In May 2014, many enterprises (DN) exporting Vietnamese pepper were returned by a number of European countries (Germany, the Netherlands, etc.) and had to bear all transportation and contract costs due to excess pesticide residues. allowable threshold. Specifically, the active ingredient Carbendazim, a metabolite of Benomyl, is widely used in our country to kill fungal diseases on pepper plants higher than the allowed level of 0.1 mg/kg.
At the 42nd IPC International Pepper Conference held in Ho Chi Minh City. At the end of October in Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Michio Nozaki, President of the Japan Spices Association, sent a warning document to export enterprises, if it does not commit that Carbendazim is close to zero, Japan will not import Vietnamese pepper. Male. In the US, which consumes more than 24,500 tons of Vietnamese pepper, the active ingredient Carbendazim is a banned substance in food. Thus, from 2015 if Vietnam does not commit to ensuring this criterion, the pepper industry will lose 30% of the high-end, fastidious market but is willing to pay high prices if technical barriers and origin are guaranteed. , sustainable trade for society and the environment… Enterprises instead of exporting to all consuming countries in the world, pepper only has the way to export raw materials for roasters and refiners… There are no strict requirements on quality like India, Indonesia… Meanwhile, people are massively planting pepper outside the planning, growing on unsuitable land, intensive farming, racing with productivity by abusing different types of pepper. Pesticides, stimulants… push up the supply despite the warning that pepper prices will drop in the future.
According to export enterprises, to export pepper to the world market, the quality control stage is very strict, with about 600 banned and restricted active ingredients in pepper introduced by foreign purchasing units. However, Vietnam still does not have a laboratory to meet these requirements, the tightening of pepper quality from the production stage is being focused by export enterprises.
Tighten quality export pepper
According to the assessment of enterprises and scientists, pesticide residues in pepper are the common situation due to intensive farming, overuse of pesticides, growth stimulants… in agricultural products in Vietnam. Mr. PVT, a pepper farmer in Buon Ho town, said that pepper is a difficult crop compared to other crops, so since seeding, farmers have had to use root stimulants… The business segment regularly sprays stimulants to get large, even fruits, fungicides …
According to statistics, the pepper industry is facing more than 600 banned and restricted active ingredients introduced by importing countries, but with the active ingredient Carbendazim it is very difficult to implement due to the overuse of drugs, so pepper plants do not have enough. decomposition time. Therefore, right after receiving warnings from importing countries, 2-9 Import and Export One Member Co., Ltd went to the raw material areas to open training courses on sustainable pepper production for farmers. in the districts of Krong Nang, Buon Ho, Cu M’gar…; committed to give many preferential prices for farmers if they can ensure integrated pest management, do not abuse pesticides in the production process, but there has not been much change. Currently, the company only has about 30 hectares of Rainforest Alliance certified pepper.
Mr. Le Duc Huy, Deputy General Director of the Company, said that pepper is currently suffering from the same risk signs as the Tea industry in the years 2004 – 2006 such as demand decrease, supply increase, product quality problems, a problem with product quality. Some markets refuse to import… Therefore, at this time, it is necessary to build and maintain the Vietnamese pepper brand.
Mr. Pham Cong Tri, Institute of Agriculture and Forestry Science and Technology Central Highlands said that Carbendazim is a fungicidal active ingredient with a very long decomposition time. The above residue situation can be used by farmers to treat diseases, or can be used by collectors to preserve agricultural products. In fact, this active ingredient is found a lot in other agricultural products, so if this unscientific way of preservation is not stopped, even if farmers produce and manage diseases well, Carbendazim residues in agriculture will remain. Export production is still above the allowed level.
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