Intl pepper conference opens in Ba Ria-Vung Tau

The International Pepper Conference 2019 opened in Vung Tau city, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, on November 12, drawing 400 delegates from Vietnam and 25 other member countries of the International Pepper Community.

In Vietnam, pepper is a source of livelihood for more than 200,000 households.

At the three-day event, the 47th of its kind so far, representatives from the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the International Pepper Community, the Vietnam Pepper Association, and domestic and foreign businesses will discuss issues relevant to pepper production, processing and trading to better meet the global market’s demand.

It features meetings of exporters and importers, meetings on cultivation techniques, exhibitions of exporting and importing companies, and field trips to pepper farms in Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

On this occasion, the International Pepper Community awarded five Vietnamese and foreign farmers who were recognised as outstanding pepper growers of 2018. Five companies of Vietnam and other countries were also honoured for their innovation in pepper production and processing.

The conference takes place amid unfavourable factors facing the world’s pepper sector, including continually declining prices, global financial crisis, abnormal weather conditions, uncontrolled diseases on plants, consumers’ growing requirements, rising production costs and unpredictable price developments.

Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh said the country is currently the world’s biggest peppercorn producer and exporter with the export volume reaching 250,000 tonnes, equivalent to 40 percent of the global figure.

In Vietnam, pepper is mainly cultivated in the provinces of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Dong Nai, Binh Phuoc, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Quang Tri, and Kien Giang. It is a source of livelihood for more than 200,000 households.

The country’s pepper processing capacity has also been improved considerably with processing technologies meeting global standards, he noted.