In recent years, pepper prices have continuously decreased worms, many infected areas, fast death, slow death makes the life of pepper growers in Phu Yen difficult, in many localities farmers are tending to destroy this crop.
Farmers take care of unspoiled pepper root.
However, finding suitable crops to replace, stabilize output, create sustainable livelihoods is an unsolved problem of pepper farmers and local authorities.
Son Thanh Tay commune (Tay Hoa district) was named the capital of pepper in Phu Yen with an area of over 500 hectares. Xiaoshan Chengxi is famous throughout the country for its well-developed, productive and high-quality plants. Pepper for high income contributes to economic development for local farmers.
However, since the end of 2017, most of the pepper growing households have not brought about economic benefits or even made losses. The reason is that the price of pepper is low (currently down to VND 30,000 / kg of dried pepper) and the disease dies quickly, dies out slowly in a long time. Looking at the pepper garden becoming more and more wilted, farmers had to tear down their heads to plant other short-term crops, earning immediate income to stabilize their lives. But, the farmers themselves find new crops suitable for the climate, soil … is a problem.
Mr. Phan Trong Anh, from Son Truong village, Son Thanh Tay commune, said that pepper growers in Son Thanh are now “exhausted”. Because of money, the effort to invest in this crop is huge but the effect is not as expected. If we continue to keep pepper, the family economy will face many difficulties. Therefore, many people have been breaking down pepper gardens to grow other crops such as corn, cassava, eggplant, asparagus, passion fruit, fruit trees …
People break down pepper to plant other crops.
There are more than 4,000 m2 of pepper land, but until now, Doan Van Chien's family, Son Tinh hamlet, Son Thanh Tay commune has destroyed more than half of the area to grow corn and eggplant. Although planting these two crops each harvest only about 1 to 2 million, much lower than the previous pepper cultivation, but this is a temporary solution that his family chooses.
Mr. Doan Van Chien, Son Tinh hamlet, Son Thanh Tay commune shared: Now destroy some plants a little. One tree loses another and another tree is removed. Farmers keep asking each other that they grow, but do not plan or find any output at all.
According to statistics of the People's Committee of Son Thanh Tay commune, currently more than 300 hectares of pepper have been destroyed by farmers. Farmers themselves switch from growing pepper to other crops such as avocado, orange, cassava, maize, eggplant and asparagus.
Trinh Lam Hai, Chairman of the People's Committee of Son Thanh Tay commune, said that the farmers' destruction of diseased pepper gardens to plant other trees was just an immediate solution. In the long term, the local authorities have proposed that the higher authorities need specific directions for farmers to convert to other crops, suitable to the planning, climate and soil here. In addition, many households in the commune now owe money to banks for cash crops. Therefore, people want the bank to freeze and extend debts and create conditions for farmers to continue borrowing capital to develop production.
Not only in Son Thanh Tay commune, Tay Hoa district, pepper growing area in Song Hinh district is also significantly reduced. Previously, the total area of pepper cultivation in the district was about 200 hectares, now only about 60 hectares. The area of pepper was destroyed, farmers turned to fruit trees, partly to rubber …
According to the planning of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, by 2020, the area for growing pepper trees in Phu Yen province will be about 400 hectares. However, in the previous period due to the high price of pepper, farmers massively dismantled other crops to switch to pepper cultivation. At times, the area of pepper growing in Phu Yen province is over 1,000 hectares, about 2.5 times higher than the plan. Facing the current difficult situation, finding crops to replace the destroyed pepper area but having to suit and stabilize the output is an unsolved problem of the agricultural sector and farmers.
Source Xuan Trieu (VNA)
