Pepper plantation in EaBhok (Cu Kuin district) for high and stable yields thanks to apply techniques towards sustainable production.

In recent years, due to the pepper price in the market is high, many farmers rushed to grow pepper, so the pepper area in the province growed rapidly. In 2005, the whole provice had only 3,567 ha pepper, now has grown 11,000 hectares (over 6,000 ha compared to plan), yeild reached 20,000 ton / crop. Although pepper has the ability to adapt to many types of soil and needs less water than coffee, harvests in the dry season, but the technical requirements for procducing quite high, investment, so unplanned expansion of pepper and inappropriate care will make pepper plants infected deaseas and die easily.

Mr. Huynh Quoc Thich, Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Dak Lak province said, the massive development of pepper plants has led to several consequences: People break down large areas of other crops such as coffee, cashew, rubber, fruit trees ... to plant pepper. In addition, when growing pepper, people often did not focus on and land reclamation, handling pathogens. Most pepper area in the province are mainly grown on died pillars, not focus on shade trees. Overuse of chemical fertilizers, not balance, less interested in organic fertilizers and biological products for pepper, so disease on pepper plants thrive, not have effective methods remedy. Through monitoring of PPD, from 2008 to now, the total of ​​pepper area wilt and die rapidly and yellow leaves die slow are almost 680 ha with the damage rate about 5-20%, the area infected nematodes is 580 ha.

To improve the sustainability on the pepper production, in 2011 The Western Highlands of Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute in coordination with the Provincial Agriculture Extension Centre conducted a survey to build demonstration plant towards sustainable consumption at the ward Tan Binh (Buon Ho town) and Ea Bhok (Cu Kuin) in ​​5.3 hectares, including 20 households participated to plant peppers in alive pillar. The results showed that, this model gives higher yield than massive production, from 20.2 to 25.0% (in comparison to areas applied this models). In 2012, the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV), the organization Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), the Company purchased Euroma coordinate with the Import and Export Company Limited 2-9 (Simexco Dak Lak ) has supported the implementation of the project "Development of a sustainable supply chain objectives." The project was implemented in Quang Tien commune (M‘gar Cu), Ea Tan (Krong district), Thong Nhat (Buon Ho town) with the participation of 500 households, area targets Certified 411 ha, yield 777 tons, 336 tons production procurement (according to Rainforest Alliance certification) ... Since the implementation of the production model of sustainable consumption, many associations, unions and local functional unit the province has been able to organize for our members to visit the garden in the area effectively; simultaneous opening of training and technical guidance on the effectiveness of pepper sustainable farmers to apply. From that experience, knowledge and techniques to take care of high quality pepper farmers have been sharing this pattern growing and scaling up.

Mr. Tran Van Tam family in Quang Tien commune, Cu M‘gar applied techniques towards sustainable production (according to the project developed sustainable supply chain) over 2 years. Compared with other pepper plantation grown under traditional methods, his garden has many differences as fewer pests, thick leaves and green pepper over, especially limiting the disease die fast, die slow. Mr Tam said processe of biological method for pepper is quite simple just use the whole green manure, compost manure, compost microorganisms to fertilize the new trees. As for the left target, apply a little more inorganic fertilizer to support tree fruit farming. Thus with 1 hectare business pepper, his family harvested average 6 tons of pepper, interest about 900 million VND / year, higher than other households in the village about 1-2 tonnes / ha.

Mr. Huynh Quoc Thich said: For the implementation of the model of sustainable pepper production farmers were trained, transfered techniques on sustainable pepper production, harvesting methods, drying and preserving pepper and occupational safety. At the same time, grant and guide farming diary for farmers, help farmers more active in the sewing technique, known account of production costs; support to buy cabinets pesticides, fund to dig holes for garbage collection, especially pesticides packaging to protect the environment and workers’ health. Thus, from producing under traditional experience, farmers know how to limit chemical fertilizers, use compost focus microbiology, create drainage systems, plant shade trees, windbreaks and pesticides in the catalog for routine prophylaxis so pepper plantation growth well, increase productivity. Farmers took part in this models not only were transfered technology for sustainable production, but also are products consumption by enterprises higher than the market prices of 2-4%. It is also seen as one of the models of performance linkage "4 houses" to create the production of high quality materials, sustainable businesses associated with purchasing, processing and  stable consumption.

Source: peppervietnam.com