Pepper farmers in the central highlands province of Dak Nong are facing difficulties in finding workers amid the harvest season.
Lots of ripe fruits have fallen in Dak Nong Province.
Ho Sy Hao in Tuy Duc District has 5,000 ripe pepper trees. Hao said he needed some 20 workers to harvest pepper but has failed to find enough.
"I've tried to find workers through various channels including acquaintances, employment companies or online job fairs but it's difficult to find workers now," Hao said. "I've doubled the payment compared to last year but haven't been able to find enough workers. Lots of ripe fruits have fallen.
Nguyen Van Hung in Dak Song District said that he had two hectares of ripened pepper. He has called for help with the harvesting work.
"I'm offering payment of VND 230,000 (USD 10) per day or VND4,000-6,000 per kilo of pepper which is double last year's pay," Hung said. "But many of them have told me to wait as they are now busy with work at other gardens.
According to the Dak Nong Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the province is home to 33,500 hectares of pepper, mostly in Dak Song, Dak Mil, and Tuy Duc with a total output of about 60,000 tonnes per year.
Despite being negatively affected by labour shortages and high maritime freight costs, Vietnam’s pepper exports in 2021 still recorded positive growth. In 2022, the country’s pepper export prices are forecasted to continue to remain high, positively affecting the industry, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said.
The ministry said that in 2022, the pepper industry will continue to exploit export markets such as the United States, the EU, and the United Arab Emirates. Vietnam’s largest pepper export market the United States should see an economic recovery that would lead to an increase in pepper demand.
