Promoting sustainable pepper production

On 25/01/2018 in Ho Chi Minh City, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) held a Conference “Promoting the sustainable development of pepper production”. Minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong chaired the meeting with the participation of representatives from several provincial departments of Agriculture and Rural Development in key pepper provinces in the South East and Central Highlands, Vietnam Pepper Association, some departments MARD and pepper production companies.

As reported by the Department of Crop Production, pepper production in 2017 increased 24.8% compared to that of 2016, accounting for nearly 50% of the world’s pepper production, the average yield of 26 kg / ha is 2.5 times higher than the global average productivity. Some localities had achieved very high pepper productivity, such as Gia Lai province with 40.4 quintals per hectare, 29.7 quintals per hectare in Dak Lak province, 28.6 quintals per hectare in Binh Phuoc province. However, there were still many provinces where the plantation areas had been expanded outside the planning area, or using unfavorable lands for pepper plantation, and some farmers participated without sufficient experience and knowledge of intensive cultivation. These situations had caused the consequences such as pests and diseases outbreaks, or the reduction in pepper quality, in particular, the problem of food safety were still existed in some areas. Therefore, in order to develop sustainable pepper, Minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong requested the following measures to be taken quickly to promote restructuring progress in the sector:

- In the coming time, the Ministry will direct all relevant partners not to increase pepper plantation area, or even reduce the plantation in disadvantaged areas and seriously damaged areas to change to other crops via propagating and convincing people, and designing specilized mechanism for farmers.

- Concentrating on state management of pepper varieties such as seedling recognition and multiplication, pepper gardens for good quality seedling production, and review appropriate cultivation processes for each sub-region, enhancing the quality management of fertilizers and pesticides.

- Developing the linkages for pepper production value chain, enhancing the role of the Vietnam Pepper Association in developing the pepper value chain.

- Strengthening the involvement of local authorities in all aspects, from planning to production, linking production and consumption, providing more incentive policies to promote the development of sustainable pepper production.

PSAV/MARD