The Ministry of Industry and Trade said that pepper export price has risen to US$3,140 a tonne, doubling the figure recorded in the same period last year. The export price hike has pushed up domestic pepper prices.

The current trend is forecast to prolong as the 2007-08 crop output is likely to decline due to adverse weather and shrinking domestic reserves. Vietnam’s pepper export earning for 2007 is expected to double the 2006 figure to around 310 million USD although its export volume may fall by 20 percent. *

President of the Vietnam Pepper Association (VPA) Do Ho Nam said that Vietnam is currently the world’s leading pepper exporter, accounting for more than 50 percent of the world’s market. Hence, Vietnam’s pepper exports have a great impact on the world. In 2006, Vietnam exported around 116,670 tonnes of pepper.