The Government and the agricultural sector need to work together toovercome difficulties facing Vietnam’s peppercorn industry, which isforecast to show unsustainable development, as heard at a recentconference in Ho Chi Minh City.
The instablility was attributed to rapid plantation expansion and intensive farming.
Vietnam’stotal peppercorn area was estimated to exceed 80,000 hectares by theend of the first quarter of this year, nearly doubling the figure set inthe sector’s development plan, with key farming zones concentrating inBinh Phuoc, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Dong Nai, Dak Lak, Gia Lai and Dak Nongprovinces.
Hoang Phuoc Binh, Vice Chairman and GeneralSecretary of the Chu Se Pepper Association in the Central province ofGia Lai, warned that the increasing plantation expansion will lead tohigh output but low price, challenging the industry.
Peppergrowers will also cope with other difficulties in 2015 withincreasingly destructive insects and climate change, especially innewly-cultivated zones.
On the other hand, Vietnamese peppercornhas not met quality and food safety standards strictly required by manyforeign importers, said Do Ha Nam, Chairman of the Vietnam PepperAssociation.
Nam added that his agency has put forward aplan to set up sustainable production areas along with trademarkgeneration in order to increase the quality of peppercorn and meetglobal food safety standards.
Vietnam has been one of the leadingcountries in exporting peppercorn in the world in recent years. Itspeppercorn is sold to over 90 countries and territories, accounting for30 percent of the total global production and 50 percent of the totalglobal exports respectively.
Currently, theVietnamese peppercorn sector produces 2.16 tonnes of dried berries perhectare, one of the world’s highest yields.
In 2014, the countryexported over 156,000 tonnes of peppercorn, up 16.4 percent from 2013and equivalent to 58 percent of the global market share of peppercorn.The sector’s export turnover reached 1.2 billion USD, a year-on-yearincrease of 34.7 percent.-VNA
The instablility was attributed to rapid plantation expansion and intensive farming.
Vietnam’stotal peppercorn area was estimated to exceed 80,000 hectares by theend of the first quarter of this year, nearly doubling the figure set inthe sector’s development plan, with key farming zones concentrating inBinh Phuoc, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Dong Nai, Dak Lak, Gia Lai and Dak Nongprovinces.
Hoang Phuoc Binh, Vice Chairman and GeneralSecretary of the Chu Se Pepper Association in the Central province ofGia Lai, warned that the increasing plantation expansion will lead tohigh output but low price, challenging the industry.
Peppergrowers will also cope with other difficulties in 2015 withincreasingly destructive insects and climate change, especially innewly-cultivated zones.
On the other hand, Vietnamese peppercornhas not met quality and food safety standards strictly required by manyforeign importers, said Do Ha Nam, Chairman of the Vietnam PepperAssociation.
Nam added that his agency has put forward aplan to set up sustainable production areas along with trademarkgeneration in order to increase the quality of peppercorn and meetglobal food safety standards.
Vietnam has been one of the leadingcountries in exporting peppercorn in the world in recent years. Itspeppercorn is sold to over 90 countries and territories, accounting for30 percent of the total global production and 50 percent of the totalglobal exports respectively.
Currently, theVietnamese peppercorn sector produces 2.16 tonnes of dried berries perhectare, one of the world’s highest yields.
In 2014, the countryexported over 156,000 tonnes of peppercorn, up 16.4 percent from 2013and equivalent to 58 percent of the global market share of peppercorn.The sector’s export turnover reached 1.2 billion USD, a year-on-yearincrease of 34.7 percent.-VNA
