At this time, in Cu Kuin district (Dak Lak province), farmers are urgently harvesting pepper.
Right from the early morning, Mr. Vu Dinh Khoi (hamlet 6, Ea Bhok commune, Cu Kuin district (Dak Lak province) drove a truck, carrying 8 workers to the farm to pick pepper. On the road, there were also many vehicles moving to the ripe pepper farms.
Farmers are picking pepper.
According to Mr. Khoi, to save time, his family had to go to the farm early to pick pepper and prepare in advance for laborers. Every day, a laborer can pick 5 -10 pillars of pepper, with an output of about 80-120 kg of fresh pepper.
With an area of more than 1.2 ha, Mr. Khoi paid more for laborers to speed up the progress to complete the harvest in mid-March. This was to avoid bad weather affecting the pepper quality.
Quickly picking each red ripe pepper, Mr. Hoang The Hai (hamlet 8, Ea Tieu commune) excitedly said that this year, the pepper price is quite high and the productivity is relatively stable so his family is very happy. Now, he is making the most of his family members and hiring more laborers to complete the harvest.
On average, a laborer can earn 250,000 VND/man/day or about 3,200 – 3,500 VND/kg of fresh pepper. Although the cost of hiring laborers to pick pepper and investment is high, pepper growers can make a profit to reinvest for next year’s crop with the selling price of about 95,000 VND/kg.
Mr. Vu Dinh Tu (Hamlet 8, Ea Ning commune) did not hide his joy when the pepper price increased from the beginning of the crop, making his family feel more secure when investing and sustainably developing this plant.
“With an area of nearly 1 ha, my family collects about 3 tons of pepper. It is expected that after deducting the cost, our profit is more than 200 million VND. This year, in addition to the continuous increase in pepper prices, it is easier to find laborers than last year. Rents are stable so farmers are happier”, Mr. Tu said happily.
After harvesting, farmers mainly dry pepper naturally.
Cu Kuin district is a key area for pepper cultivation in the province, with an area of nearly 4,667 ha, of which the pepper area for business is 4,125 ha. Besides coffee, pepper is one of the key crops that bring the main source of income to local people. In 2024, the average yield of the whole district is expected to reach about 3.2 tons/ha, with an estimated output of about 13,000 tons.
In the district, pepper is grown mainly in Ea Ning and Ea Bhok communes to form a concentrated material area, which is a favorable condition for the implementation of value chain production links as well as programs related to pepper. Up to now, the district has formed one cooperative producing organic pepper, with an area of 30 ha; two groups producing pepper sustainably, with an area of 20 ha; two pepper production clubs applying drip irrigation technology, with an area of 25 ha.
Mr. Nguyen Canh Danh – Deputy Head of Agriculture and Rural Development of Cu Kuin District, said that the peak time of pepper harvest takes place around February and March every year. During the harvest, farmers always prioritize the collection of ripe pepper clusters to improve the productivity and quality of the farm. After harvesting, farmers mainly dry naturally, few households use drying ovens.
In the process of consumption, households mainly sell black pepper to collectors or purchasing establishments in the district. Currently, the district has about 50 collectors and nearly 20 pepper-purchasing establishments concentrated in areas with a relatively large pepper area of the district./.