To give chili plants a stable foothold

(Baonghean) - Currently, the model of growing chili peppers for export in Anh Son district is bringing considerable income to farmers. It is predicted that this model can be developed and expanded to form a raw material area. However, in reality, in many districts, chili peppers are being replaced by other crops as farmers and businesses are no longer working together.

These days, the people of Hamlet 4, Tuong Son Commune, Anh Son District are entering the final stages of harvesting chili peppers for export. Beside her two plots of ripe, red chili peppers ready for harvest, Ms. Bui Thi Minh said: “From the beginning of the season until now, my family has harvested six batches of chili peppers, yielding 1.8 tons of fruit. The price was purchased by Napaga Investment and Development Company officials at 5,500 VND/kg, bringing in over 8 million VND. We estimate the total chili pepper yield after the harvest will reach nearly 3 tons, bringing in over 16 million VND. In this area, chili peppers yield higher economic returns than other crops like corn, peanuts, and beans that were previously cultivated.”

A model for exporting chili peppers in Hamlet 4, Tuong Son Commune (Anh Son District).

The chili pepper crop is being developed by Napaga Investment and Development Joint Stock Company (a member of Nghe An Food Joint Stock Company), which has invested in a raw material area with specific economic contracts for each household. The company provides farmers with an advance of 700,000 VND/sao (approximately 1000 square meters) for seeds and pesticides, waiving 50% of the cost for households achieving a yield of 1 ton/sao or more, and providing 100% free seedlings for households achieving a yield of 1.5 tons/sao or more. The initial agreed-upon purchase price for chili peppers is 5,500 VND/kg. Mr. Nguyen Cong The, Head of the Agriculture Department of Anh Son District, said: "Chili peppers are quite adaptable to the soil in Anh Son. The pilot model of chili pepper cultivation in two communes is expected to yield a high output of 150 tons of fruit. Currently, the district is encouraging the expansion of chili pepper cultivation in Tuong Son and Hoa Son communes."

Unlike Anh Son, in many districts such as Nam Dan, Hung Nguyen, Tan Ky, etc., chili peppers are being replaced with other crops because businesses are not keeping their initial commitments to farmers, or even abandoning the project altogether. Therefore, it is necessary to clearly define responsibilities between growers and product buyers, and contracts must include guarantees so that farmers do not have to subsist on chili peppers. In reality, chili peppers are being "leapfrogged" from one area to another, and the sustainability of this practice is questionable in many localities.

Discussing this issue, Mr. Pham Van Binh, technical officer of Napaga Investment and Development Joint Stock Company, said: To ensure the effectiveness of the chili pepper cultivation model and guarantee the quality of products imported to the Korean market, the company has worked with the People's Committee of Anh Son district and local authorities of the communes, committing to a contract to purchase chili peppers from farmers for three consecutive years at prices that fluctuate according to the market each year. Currently, although the commitment to purchase chili peppers expires on May 15th, the company continues to extend the purchase period until the end of the season. For now, we can be reassured about chili pepper cultivation in Anh Son district, but will chili pepper prices fluctuate again in the coming years? This is an issue that requires the active involvement of local authorities, businesses, and relevant agencies in supporting farmers…

Luong Mai