Pepper productivity decreases due to extended drought and disease

Pepper prices are rising again after a long period of low levels, currently, traders are buying pepper from the garden for VND 120,000 - 130,000/kg, an increase of nearly VND 50,000/kg compared to the end of 2023. Although prices have increased, many pepper-growing households in Kien Giang are still unhappy because this year's pepper crop failed and the harvest yield was low.

Mr Thach Nat, a longtime pepper grower in Ha Tien City, said: “Each pepper pillar if under favourable weather le and well caring, can yield from 800g to 1kg. However, this year the harvest only reached less than 500g/pillar. The reason is due to prolonged drought and lack of irrigation water, pepper plants do not develop well and bear little fruit."

As the owner of a pepper purchasing and processing facility in the suburban commune of Ha Tien City, Mr Ngo Hoang Du said: As the owner of a pepper purchasing and processing facility in the suburban commune of Ha Tien City, Mr Ngo Hoang Du said: "It's harvest time now, but every day the facility can only buy a few dozen kilograms of raw pepper. Because this year's pepper crop was poor, farmers harvested low yields. Furthermore, because pepper prices are increasing, there are households who are not in a hurry to sell right away but wait for the price".

Mr Tran Quang Giau, Director of the Crop Production and Plant Protection Sub-Department of Kien Giang province said, currently, the entire province only has about 384 ha of pepper growing, scattered in the districts of Giong Rieng, Go Quao, U Minh Thuong, Kien Luong, Kien Hai, Ha Tien City and Phu Quoc.

Recently, because pepper prices are low while input costs are increasing, the more they grow, the more they lose money, so farmers destroy pepper gardens and switch to other crops. In addition, many pepper gardens in Go Quao, Giong Rieng, and Phu Quoc are infected with diseases, commonly causing slow death, rapid death, stunned death of pepper, and nematodes with a total area of more than 26 ha, affecting harvest output.