Escape poverty from growing hot chili for export

(Baonghean) - With the policy of promoting commodity production to improve people's lives in building new rural areas, the model of growing hot chili peppers for export on Anh Son land has initially affirmed clear economic efficiency.

At this time, farmers in Tuong Son commune are in the season of harvesting hot chili for export. This is the second crop that farmers here have harvested hot chili for export on converted rice land. Ms. Bui Thi Minh - Village 4, Tuong Son commune, planted 1 sao of chili on rice land without water control in the field of Village 4. Thanks to proper care and good intensive investment, after more than 2 months of planting, the chili yield reached 2.2 tons/sao, an increase of 0.2 tons/sao compared to the 2014 winter chili crop. The product was purchased by the Company at 5,900 VND/kg, she earned a net profit of nearly 10 million VND/sao, many times higher than growing rice and corn.

Hot chili export model in village 4, Tuong Son commune (Anh Son).

From the effectiveness of 3 hectares of hot chili pepper export model in the 2014 winter crop, this winter crop, Tuong Son commune converted 10 hectares of rice without proactive water supply to hot chili pepper cultivation in the fields of Village 4 and Village 5, increasing by 7 hectares, attracting 47 people to participate in planting.

Ms. Pham Thi Lan - Land and Agriculture Officer (People's Committee of Tuong Son Commune) said: To implement chili production on ineffective land, the commune has a policy of supporting 30 million VND, mobilizing people to contribute nearly 100 million VND to invest in a system of canals and water storage ponds to care for chili plants. Up to now, people in the commune have harvested 18 harvests with a yield of 51 tons of chili fruit, expected to end the whole crop in early February, harvesting about 300 tons of chili fruit, net profit reaching hundreds of millions of VND, an average of nearly 180 million VND/ha.

Along with Tuong Son commune, this winter crop, Hoi Son commune planted 2 hectares of hot chili on the Xom 2 alluvial land (due to the ineffective corn cultivation before), attracting 20 households to participate. Currently, the chili model has a yield of 1.5 tons/sao, with an income of 7 - 8 million VND/sao.

Mr. Bui Cong Diep - Vice Chairman of Hoa Son Commune People's Committee, said: Hoi Son is a difficult area of ​​the district, with many ethnic minorities living there. Growing chili helps people be active in crop rotation. From growing 2 crops of corn and summer-autumn beans each year to growing 3 crops including winter chili, spring corn, and summer-autumn beans. The commune has a policy of supporting 50% of seed prices and 50% of fertilizer costs for people to implement the model. Thanks to high efficiency, the commune continues to plan and expand 10 hectares of chili in the remaining hamlets. Thanks to detailed planning of the land and the process of intensive investment in the right process, although only entering the second production season, the whole district has restructured over 31 hectares of chili for export, an increase of 16 hectares compared to 2014.

Besides Tuong Son and Hoi Son, chili is also structured on ineffective alluvial land in 4 communes of Hoa Son, Duc Son, Long Son and Dinh Son. After land consolidation, with the goal of converting crops, promoting the efficiency of land funds to increase income for people, Anh Son district focuses on calling on businesses and investors to invest in many new models. The model of growing hot chili for export is one of the new commodity crop models, which was introduced into the structure by the district later than other crops but has been effective among the people.

The Thanh Hoa Agricultural and Agricultural and Forestry Products Export Joint Stock Company invested in the chili pepper plant under the mechanism of giving people an advance payment of 10 million VND/kg of chili pepper seed number 20 and 15 million VND/kg of chili pepper seed number 07, of which the Company supported 500 thousand VND/kg of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and increased technical staff to invest in building nurseries in production areas. The price of chili pepper purchased according to the initial economic contract commitment was 5,900 VND/kg (type 1) and 4,500 VND/kg (type 2).

Ms. Nguyen Thi Que harvests hot peppers.

Mr. Hoang Van Dang - Head of the Department of Agriculture of Anh Son district, said: The effectiveness of chili pepper in localities has been clearly confirmed, in the future if maintained and developed well, it can be expanded into raw material areas. Currently, the whole district has about 200 hectares of productive land and low-efficiency rice land, it is expected that chili pepper can be included in the structure of chili pepper for export.

However, through the study of chili cultivation practices, it is shown that the industrial style of the people in applying new technical advances in intensive investment is still limited. To do this well, it is necessary to coordinate between women's organizations, veterans, farmers... in propaganda, evaluation, and organizing workshops to learn from experience.

And one issue that people are concerned about is how to grow chili peppers sustainably. Because not long ago, in some delta districts in our province, there was a situation where chili peppers were not purchased on the day of harvest, leading to failure.

Therefore, according to Mr. Hoang Van Dang - Head of the Department of Agriculture of Anh Son district, between growers and product purchasing units, it is necessary to clearly and specifically define responsibilities for each other. Enterprises need to properly implement contracts with people and avoid giving up to create trust for people to feel secure in production.

Talking to us about this issue, Mr. Le Hung Viet - Head of Technical Department - Agricultural and Forestry Export Joint Stock Company - Nghe An Branch, said: The Company has proactively and in detail planned the investment in the raw chili growing area in Nghe An, contributing to the effective conversion of commodity crops. In Anh Son, through practical investment, it has been shown that all conditions for chili production have many advantages, good intensive cultivation can achieve a yield of 2-2.5 tons/sao. The Company's viewpoint is to purchase promptly, purchase all products for people at the price committed in the initial economic contract. In the coming time, the Company will continue to create good connections with the government and people to move towards planning the raw chili growing area for export.

Luong Mai