Pepper crop yield forecast to fall up to 20%
28 | 08 | 2007
Vietnam’s pepper output is estimated to hit 80,000-90,000 tonnes this year, down 10-20% over 2006, mainly due to unfavourable weather conditions and pests. The world’s top pepper exporter, Vietnam exported 51,000 tonnes worth US$153 million in the first seven months of this year, down 42.3% in volume but up 17.6% in value over the same period last year, according to the country’s General Statistical Office.
The country has in recent years intensified investment advanced growing, harvesting and processing techniques for the pepper industry to turn out higher-grade products. Vietnam now houses 52,500 hectares of pepper, with an average output of 2.3 tonnes per hectare. The southern province of Binh Phuoc, the country's largest pepper producer, has nearly 13,500 hectares of the spice.
Vietnam and Indonesia, whose combined output accounts for 45% of the world's pepper supply, have planned to establish a joint committee focusing on marketing, improving quality standards and compiling statistics.