Comparing
to other localities, An Binh Commune in Phu Giao District is favorable for
pepper planting. Local people are expanding their farms to earn big from the
rising price of pepper; however, quality seems to be a greater challenge to
them. 
Farmers need to be guided to practise intense farming for higher productivity
of pepper plants
On our way back to An Binh Commune, we witnessed the green of pepper leaves along the road, not so green as a few years ago. Pepper is now replaced by rubber trees.
Like many other drops in the locality, people used to rush in for pepper planting without much consideration of the warning for exceeding development standards.
Once in those years of 1999 and 2000, pepper was considered as irresplaceable; however, over-planting has brought up unexpected catastrophe. The fast transition from pepper to other kinds of plants has blindfolded local people of quality which is the most important factor of pepper production.
By the end of 2010, pepper planting area in An Binh was only accounted for over 120 hectares, a sharp reduction from previous years. The cause was that people are no longer interested in the fluctuation of pepper prices let alone dangerous disease to the plants.
“At first we tried to plant 1,000 poles for pepper plants in a wish to change our life; however, at the long run we faced more and more difficulties when they was dying out. Thus, we changed to rubber trees,” said Mr. Luc Tien Nghia, a farmer residing at Bau Tru village.
Pepper price is on an increase which opens up new chances for pepper plants
Mr. Nguyen Van Cuong – Chairman of An Binh Farmer Association said that Center for researching of seeds and plants in Southern Region has joined up to survey the planting areas of pepper and propose remedies to recover pepper plantations.
Reported by Da Binh – Translated by Vi Bao
