Pepper exports to hit 15,000 tonnes
KUCHING: Malaysia’s pepper export is expected to rise to 15,000 tonnes this year from 12,199 tonnes worth RM490 million last year, with Japan being the major export destination.
Plantation and Commodity Industries Minister Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong said the pepper cultivation area could reach 17,100ha with a total production of 31,000 tonnes this year, from 16,768ha with total production of 29,245 tonnes last year.
He said Sarawak was the main pepper producer in Malaysia, with 98 per cent of the 29,614 smallholders hailing from the state.
Malaysia exported 5,851 tonnes of pepper worth RM180.4 million in the first seven months of the year, with Japan accounting for 1,580 tonnes, or 27 per cent, of the total, said Mah after officiating at the 10th anniversary of the Malaysian Pepper Board and Pepper Festival 2017, here, yesterday.
Various activities are being held during the three-day celebrations, including an agriculture exhibition, a cooking demonstration and various contests.
Mah also launched a recipe book titled “Sarawak Pepper for Your Palate” and a new app called “Dr Pepper” to disseminate virtual information and solutions to smallholders on diseases that attacked pepper plants.
He hoped the celebrations would continue in recognition of the smallholders’ contribution to the country’s achievement as the world’s fifth largest pepper producer.
Mah said the Malaysian Pepper Board had registered a series of achievements since its inception.
However, the agency had also faced various challenges in pursuing its role to improve the economic status of the rural community, especially the pepper smallholders. Bernama