Pepper prices continuously increase as output decreases

Currently, it is the time of the main pepper harvest in the Central Highlands, so everywhere in the villages and hamlets in Dak Lak, you can see the busy atmosphere of farmers. In particular, this year, the price of pepper in Dak Lak is over VND 95,000/kg, so families with gardens are even more excited.

Busy with pepper harvesting

Early morning, Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh (village 6, Ea Bhok commune) drove a farm vehicle carrying 8 workers into the pepper garden to harvest. The scene that is easy to see at this time is that on the road, there are also many people and agricultural vehicles, tricycles, and motorbikes moving one after another, gathering items for the ripe pepper gardens waiting to be harvested.

According to Mr. Thanh, pepper prices have increased this year than usual, but output has decreased. “The family has an area of more than 1.2 hectares of pepper. This year's output is not high. We now hope to finish harvesting by mid-March, avoiding bad weather affecting pepper quality," Mr. Thanh said.

Similarly, Mr. Vu Dinh Tu's family (village 8, Ea Ning commune) also tried to bind pepper trees for many years. This person's family currently has 1 hectare. Thanks to good care, they are expected to harvest 3 tons of pepper this year. After deducting expenses, the profit will be more than VND 200 million.

“This year, pepper prices increased right from the beginning of the season, making families feel more secure when investing and sustainably developing this crop. Although labor and investment costs have increased, with a selling price of around VND 95,000/kg, pepper growers have made a profit to reinvest in next year's crop," Mr. Tu shared.

Similarly, Ms. Trieu Thi Chau, Director of Binh Minh Agricultural and Service Cooperative (Cu M'gar district, Dak Lak), said her family started growing pepper over 15 years ago.

Previously, the family used a lot of fertilizer and pesticides to achieve output. This has pushed up the family's investment costs. In particular, after overuse of fertilizers and chemical pesticides, pepper gardens become infected, and the land degrades. In addition, pepper prices have been low in recent years, so families have paid little attention. The pepper garden has gradually died, and its productivity has decreased.

Mr. Tran Thanh Hien (living in Ea Tar commune, Cu M'gar district) said his family has grown 2 hectares of pepper and is currently in business.

According to Mr. Hien, pepper prices were at a record low just a few years ago during the harvest season. Hence, the atmosphere was lonely, and each family's garden was harvested by the family themselves because hiring workers did not have enough money to pay. This year, at the beginning of the harvest, pepper prices have continuously increased and have reached VND 95,000/kg. At this price, pepper growers have made a profit.

Prices increased, but output decreased

Cu Kuin district is the key pepper growing area of Dak Lak province, with an area of nearly 4,667 hectares, of which the commercial pepper area is 4,125 hectares. Besides coffee, pepper is one of the key crops that is the primary source of income for local people. In the 2024 pepper crop, the average yield of the entire district is expected to reach about 3.2 tons/ha, with an estimated output of about 13,000 tons.

According to Mr. Nguyen Canh Danh, Deputy Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Cu Kuin district, the peak time for pepper harvesting occurs around February and March every year. During harvesting, people always prioritize picking ripe fruit bunches to improve the productivity and quality of the garden.

After harvest, farmers mainly use natural drying, with few households using ovens. During consumption, households primarily sell to collectors or purchasing establishments in the district, with the main product still being black pepper. Currently, the district has about 50 pepper collectors and nearly 20 pepper-purchasing establishments concentrated in relatively large pepper areas.

Mr. Nguyen Cong Van, Vice Chairman of Cu M'gar District People's Committee, said that the local pepper area and output are at the province's top. However, this year, prices increased continuously and were much higher than in previous years, but output decreased.

According to Mr. Van, the decrease in output is due to the fall in pepper prices this year and the old pepper garden not being replanted, so the area has decreased, leading to a decrease in productivity.

Mr. Nguyen Hac Hien, Director of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection of Dak Lak province, said the local pepper area 2023 is 28,583 hectares. Of which, the new planting area is 1.16 hectares, the product area is 25,280 hectares, the yield is 29,522 tons/ha, and the output is 74,629 tons.

Mr. Hien said pepper prices are over 90,000 VND/kg this year. This pepper price is not high compared to the peak, but this is good for helping people have a better income.

According to the assessment of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Dak Lak province, pepper prices are gradually recovering. Many concentrated pepper production areas have been formed locally and are qualified for export to the world market. In particular, Dak Lak is participating in the project "Promoting sustainable production and trade of Vietnamese pepper," in which farmers will improve their farming knowledge and cooperation with businesses in the pepper industry. From there, it will create a product value chain that meets the technical requirements of importing countries and adds value to Dak Lak pepper, increasing people's income.