Implementing the policy of crop structure transformation linked to agricultural restructuring, Vi Xuyen District has proactively established partnerships with enterprises. These partnerships aim to develop high-value commercial crops, including bird’s eye chili. Although this is the first year of large-scale cultivation, local farmers are pleased. The chili harvest is abundant, and prices are favorable.
Visiting Trung Thanh Commune these days, we witnessed fields of bright red bird’s eye chili planted close together. Local farmers were eagerly harvesting to meet the company’s supply schedule.
Bird’s eye chili farm
Ms. Vuong Kieu Hanh is a local farmer from Dong Village, Trung Thanh Commune, Vi Xuyen District. While picking bird’s eye chili, she happily shared: “By participating in the chili cultivation model, my family, along with other households, received technical support from land preparation and seed sowing. Moreover, this support continued throughout the process until harvest”.
“At the same time, the company signed agreements to supply high-quality seeds and guarantee the purchase of our produce. This gives farmers great confidence in planting bird’s eye chili. Unlike other crops, Vietnamese chili has a long harvesting period. Once the chili starts ripening, harvesting becomes continuous. In fact, during peak ripening, we harvest every three days, collecting 60–100 kg each time,” she added.
Fresh bird’s eye chili
In the 2023–2024, the district partnered with a Vietnamese spice company to cultivate 36 hectares of chili across nine communes. The companies provide deferred payment support, allowing farmers to borrow 50% of the cost of seeds, plastic mulch, and fertilizers until harvest. In addition, they offer technical guidance from land preparation to care and harvesting, along with guaranteed product purchase contracts.
This gives farmers confidence that there will be no issues with selling their produce. After nearly five months of cultivation, the chili is now being harvested. This year’s warm and favorable weather has promoted growth, resulting in a bumper harvest with large, abundant fruit.
Compared to many other winter crops, bird’s eye chili requires more advanced techniques, especially in care and maintenance, than crops like corn, peanuts, or soybeans. However, Vietnamese fresh chili has significant advantages. Specifically, each planting season can yield five harvests over four months. Accordingly, the company purchases the crop at 13,000–17,000 VND per kilogram.
Frozen bird’s eye chili
The expected yield of fresh chili is around 20 tons per hectare. Planting bird’s eye chili is one of the new models in Vi Xuyen District. Accordingly, it promises to create jobs and increase local residents’ incomes. In the future, the district plans to continue expanding the planting area. Moreover, it will provide guidance and support to farmers interested in adopting this model.
Introducing chili cultivation represents a new approach to producing high-quality agricultural products. In addition, it gradually shifts farmers from scattered, small-scale practices to concentrated, large-scale planting.
This allows Vietnamese agricultural products to become marketable commodities, particularly through company partnerships with farmers. As a result, product quality is improved, and crops produced by local people have guaranteed outlets. Consequently, this helps prevent land waste and avoids losses for farmers.
Vietnamese source: https://vixuyen.hagiang.gov.vn/web/ubndvixuyen/chi-tiet-tin-tuc/-/news/44757/vi-xuyen-thu-hoach-ot-chi-thien.html