Vietnam is estimated to have exported only 4,000 tons of pepper worth US$15 million in the second month of 2008, representing sharp decreases of 43 per cent in volume and 28.6 per cent in value compared with January, the latest report from the General Statistics Office showed.
The figures brought the country’s pepper export volume in the first two months of this year to 11,000 tons, valued at US$36 million, up 31.6 per cent in terms of volume and 80.6 per cent in terms of value.
Vietnam is entering the first phase of a new pepper harvest crop, and local companies are striving to keep their product for higher prices, which are resulted from a forecast that this year’s pepper supply is weak.
Export pepper prices sharply soared by US$600 a ton in the past ten days, from February 18 to 27. The prices stood at US$3,550 a ton February 18, but they jumped to US$3,890-US$4,230 a ton February 27, three-fold prices of the same period of 2006.
At local market, pepper prices increased to VND62,000 a kilo from VND52,000 a kilo ten days earlier.
The export prices are predict to hit US$5,000 a kilo in the coming time.
Last year, Vietnam exported 82,000 tons of pepper, earning US$268 million, with export prices averaging at US$3,760 a ton. The figures showed a decline of 42 per cent in volume but 29 per cent in value against 2006. (GSO February Edition, Vietnam Agriculture)
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