MPB to create more downstream products – Mah

KUCHING: The Malaysian Pepper Board ( MPB) will focus on creating more downstream products to keep the demand consistent, have higher added value and keep the price stable.

In stating this, Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong said the global demand exceeds supply which leads to price fluctuation.

“At over RM500 million last year, pepper is a big export item as it is used for a lot of things. MPB will do more research and collaboration with other institutions to create new and innovative products so we can ensure more money and higher income, especially for our smallholders,” he told reporters yesterday.

He said there are around 67,171 pepper smallholders, 90 percent of them Bumiputera.

“As of 2015, 16,333 hectares were planted with pepper, the largest in Sarawak at 16,092 hectares. Sabah has 36 hectares while Peninsular Malaysia has 205 hectares.”

Mah was on an official visit to the MPB headquarters at Jalan Utama to formally handover the appointment letter to new MPB director general Dr Harry Entebang.

He was also there to officiate at their new analysis lab, which will play a main role in the research and development of pepper products.

The total pepper production for last year was 28,300 tonne, an increase of 800 tonne or 2.9 per cent from 2014. In 2015, the total export was 13,624 metric tonnes worth RM513.9 million.

Mah said 24.3 per cent or RM151.1 million worth of Sarawak pepper went to Japan, with the rest to China, Taiwan, Singapore, West Europe and South Korea.

“That we can export to Japan shows quality because they are a very tough market. They emphasise a lot on quality, and we are very well known for our pepper.”

Sarawak was also the fifth biggest producer of pepper last year, behind Vietnam (130,000 metric tonnes), Indonesia (71,500 metric tonnes), India ( 65,000 metric tonnes) and Brazil (41,500 metric tonnes).

“This year we hope to produce 15,000 metric tonnes.”

Also present were Plantation Industries and Commodities Deputy Minister Datuk Datu Nasrun Mansor and MPC deputy director general Phillip Gaweng.

Mah (second right) giving the thumbs-up to the famous Sarawak Black Pepper and other pepper-based products. Also seen are Harry (left), Phillip Gaweng (second left) and Nasrun.