Prioritize the development of key crops

Farmers in Xuyen Moc district take care of pepper.

Gradually switch to organic growing process

Mr. Ho Van Thu's 1.5-hectare pepper garden in Loc Hoa hamlet, Binh Gia commune, Chau Duc district is grown using organic methods. "Previously, the excessive use of chemicals in traditional farming led to many consequences for the environment, the land quickly became barren and affected human health. Therefore, I switched to organic care; thanks to that, investment costs were reduced, pepper plants grew well and sold for a higher price," said Mr. Thu.

According to Mr. Than Xuan Dong, Vice Chairman of the Farmers’ Association of Chau Duc district, the conversion to clean and organic farming methods has partly restored the position of pepper plants. Through the actual inspection of the Farmers’ Association of the district, currently most households cultivating clean and organic pepper standards have stable incomes, are committed to long-term cultivation and can live well from this crop.

Pepper is the province's main crop with an area of ​​over 10,300 hectares, so the functional sectors and localities have supported and created conditions for farmers to form high-quality raw material areas. From 2013 to present, the sustainable pepper development project in Chau Duc and Xuyen Moc districts with a total area of ​​1,500 hectares has been implemented by the Department of Agriculture and Environment in coordination with the Provincial Pepper Association and enterprises such as Olam Vietnam Company, Vietnam Spices Company Limited, Harris Freeman Vietnam Company Limited. Thereby, it has changed farming habits, products are purchased by enterprises at higher prices than the market.

Many farmers have also planted new coffee trees to replace old, low-yielding trees. Mr. Vo Ngoc Thanh, Song Xoai 2 village, Lang Lon commune, Chau Duc district, has 1.8 hectares of dwarf green coffee and grafted coffee intercropped with durian trees. “I have also reduced inorganic fertilizers and switched to organic farming. This method not only protects the health of growers but also helps the trees grow sustainably,” said Mr. Vo Ngoc Thanh.

Developing key crops

The province currently has more than 10,300 hectares of pepper; more than 6,800 hectares of cashew; nearly 20,800 hectares of rubber and more than 2,550 hectares of coffee. These are key crops that can bring economic efficiency to farmers, so many measures are needed to sustainably develop these crops.

Mr. Lam Ngoc Nham, Chairman of the Provincial Pepper Association, said that pepper is one of the main crops that bring economic efficiency to farmers in the province. Ba Ria - Vung Tau pepper has been granted a Certificate of Geographical Indication Registration for black pepper products by the Department of Intellectual Property (Ministry of Science and Technology). This is the driving force for Ba Ria - Vung Tau pepper to affirm its position in domestic and foreign markets. Therefore, for pepper to develop sustainably, it is necessary to have the right development direction and ensure sustainability. That is, it is necessary to plan and focus on growing areas that are advantageous for pepper to grow; at the same time, reduce the area in unsuitable places.

Meanwhile, according to Mr. Do Chi Khoi, Vice Chairman of Chau Duc District People's Committee, for local key crops such as pepper and cocoa, the district organizes technical training courses according to VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards, and supports seedlings for farmers. At the same time, it plans concentrated production areas, encourages farmers to cooperate in production and consumption of products, and builds brands.

Implementing the project of restructuring the agricultural sector towards increasing added value and sustainable development, the Provincial People's Committee recently signed a Decision to issue a Plan to implement the project of developing key industrial crops in 2030 in the province. In which, the group of key industrial crops at the provincial level includes: rubber, pepper, cashew; the group of key long-term industrial crops at the national level includes: rubber, pepper, cashew, coffee.

The province prioritizes promoting the advantages of each region and locality according to the national key crop group and the provincial key crop group. Along with building concentrated, large-scale commodity production areas according to market standards and requirements, providing enough raw materials for the processing industry; the province also strongly innovates the form of production organization, promotes cooperation, and close linkages to connect the global value chain.

Article and photos: DONG HIEU

Source: https://baobariavungtau.com.vn/kinh-te/202504/uu-tien-phat-trien-cay-trong-chu-luc-1039371/