Vietnam notched up US$66 million from shipping 23,000 tons of pepper abroad in the first quarter of 2010, making a slight rise of 1.54% in value despite a sharp fall of 14.55% in volume from a year earlier, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said.
The average export price this year has been $3,111 a ton, 22.1% higher than the same period of last year. The prices of pepper are expected to increase further by the year’s end due to a global supply shortfall.
The MARD said the recent unfavorable weather had caused a decline in pepper output and delayed harvests until mid-February.
Vietnam has been the world's largest pepper producer and exporter since 2001, with Germany, India and the U.S. being the biggest buyers.
The ministry said that though the pepper industry had achieved high growth rates in recent years, it should do more to grow in a sustainable manner.
It urged pepper farmers and exporters to take measures to raise quality, expand export markets, increase exports of high-quality varieties, step up trade promotion, and improve demand forecast.
Building trademarks for the country's pepper products was also a vital step in developing further, MARD said.
Vietnam has only developed the Chu Se trademark for pepper grown in Chu Se district of central highlands Gia Lai province. Chu Se pepper is priced higher than those grown in other regions.
The ministry plans to maintain the area under pepper at 50,000 hectares and an annual production at 100,000 tons.
Currently in the domestic market, pepper prices have gone up to VND40,000-VND49,000/kg, nearly double that a year earlier. (VNS)
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