Pepper prices are good, growers in Dak Lak are excited to continue investing

For more than a week now, Ms. Nguyen Thi Chuyen, in Ea Tieu commune, Cu Kuin district, Dak Lak province, has been focusing on harvesting pepper. With more than 300 pepper plants in the business stage, this season she will harvest more than 1.3 tons of dry pepper.

The joy of Dak Lak farmers when pepper prices are good

Ms. Chuyen said that pepper productivity decreased compared to the previous crop due to unfavorable weather, input material and labor prices also increased, but with the current pepper price at 160,000 VND/kg, farmers still make a profit. She plans to continue to reinvest in more specialized gardens instead of expanding the area.

“In recent years, pepper prices have increased, making farmers happy. For some damaged trees, people will replant them and continue to invest because they only grow coffee and pepper, not other crops,” Ms. Chuyen shared.

Meanwhile, Mr. Hoang Van Tung, in Ea Ktur commune, Cu Kuin district, Dak Lak province, both takes care of his coffee garden and harvests pepper intercropped in the garden. With about 400 pepper intercropped pillars, of which more than 200 pillars are harvested, he expects to collect about 1 ton of finished pepper this year. Having been attached to pepper plants for many years, experiencing the ups and downs of pepper prices from peak to bottom, the high and stable prices of coffee and pepper for the past 2 years have made Mr. Hoang Van Tung feel excited and hopeful.

“The increase in pepper prices also helps workers, motivating them to focus on investing in care. As soon as pepper is harvested, people prune the branches and take care of and clean the garden so that the next crop will yield higher yields,” said Mr. Tung.

The agricultural sector recommends that farmers do not expand their acreage and continue to invest in cultivating existing acreage in an organic and sustainable manner.

Cu Kuin district currently has about 4,700 hectares of pepper in the commercial stage, with an average yield of over 3.2 tons/ha and an average annual output of over 15,000 tons. According to Mr. Nguyen Canh Danh, Deputy Head of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Cu Kuin district, Dak Lak province, in recent years, high pepper prices have helped people feel secure in reinvesting in production. In addition to supporting people in scientific and technical training, the government also recommends that farmers should not massively expand their acreage, but continue to invest in cultivating existing acreage in an organic and sustainable manner.

“The district’s Department of Agriculture and Environment has proposed solutions to implement sustainable and effective pepper production. At the same time, it recommends that people focus on forming cooperatives during the production process, connecting people together to produce goods to ensure meeting market demand,” Mr. Danh informed.