Dak Nong farmers are excited, hoping that the plant known as "black gold" will return to its golden age.

Shortage of supply

After many years of low pepper prices (reaching 34,000 VND/kg in March 2020), pepper prices began to improve in early 2024 (reaching 83,000 VND/kg) and by May 2024, pepper prices began to increase sharply, reaching 120,000 VND/kg. By mid-June 2024, they had peaked at 180,000 VND/kg.

After a short time at 180,000 VND/kg, pepper prices have shown signs of cooling down. Currently, pepper prices fluctuate around 150,000-160,000 VND/kg, but this is still a high price in the past 7 years.

Pepper is considered "black gold" with prices on the rise again, promising to bring high income to farmers in Dak Nong.

Although pepper prices are currently high, market supply is still in short supply, because the main pepper season has passed, and the current pepper supply is mainly from some households that are still stockpiling for the 2023 crop. Due to the scarcity of goods, the current supply cannot meet market demand.

Mr. Bui Van Tri - owner of an agricultural product purchasing agency in Krong No district, Dak Nong province said that currently, pepper prices are on the rise, whatever farmers sell, the agents buy that much, even there is not enough supply for the agents to buy. If pepper prices continue to remain stable as they are now, farmers will benefit a lot.

Although pepper prices are stable and remain high, they are not attractive enough for farmers to sell their stockpiles.

In the 2023 crop, Mr. Nguyen Trong Tan's family (in Nam Da commune, Krong No district, Dak Nong province) harvested more than 12 tons of peppercorns. Mr. Tan shared: "With the current pepper price, if I sell it, after deducting the cost of fertilization and harvesting, my family will make a profit of more than 1 billion VND. However, I am not in a hurry to sell because I hope that pepper prices can increase in the near future."

Expectations for pepper to return to its "golden" days

Up to now, Mr. Truong Van Ha (Cu Jut district, Dak Nong province) still regrets that at the beginning of the year, his family sold 3 tons of pepper to get money to reinvest in the garden, but the pepper price continued to increase sharply. However, Mr. Ha said that if the pepper price remained at the current high level, he and other farmers would be extremely excited and confident to reinvest in pepper plants.

Dak Nong farmers expect pepper prices to reach high and stable levels so they can confidently reinvest and take better care of their gardens.

Ms. Nong Thi Hien (in Nam N'Jang commune, Dak Song district, Dak Nong province) shared that farmers in Dak Nong still expect pepper prices to reach 200,000 VND/kg like 7 years ago, when pepper was considered "black gold". With that price, farmers will have high profits and cover the cost of caring for pepper gardens in recent years.

Currently, Dak Nong is the locality with the largest pepper area and output in the country. If pepper prices reach the current high and stable level, it will create conditions for farmers in Dak Nong to confidently develop this crop sustainably, bringing high economic efficiency to farmers.

Source: https://danviet.vn/nong-dan-dak-nong-phan-khoi-ky-vong-loai-cay-duoc-vi-nhu-vang-den-tro-lai-thoi-ky-hoang-kim-20240702144801074.htm