Businesses encouraged to invest in large-scale pepper production hinh anh 1Vietnam exported 180,000 tonnes of pepper worth 965 million USD in the first nine months of 2017 (Source: VNA)

HCM City (VNA) – Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh has suggested key pepper growing provinces such as Dak Nong, Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Binh Phuoc and Dong Nai have more policies to encourage and create favourable conditions for businesses to invest in large-scale pepper production with high quality and efficiency.

The ministry will issue Production Unit Codes (PUCs) to areas that qualify to produce peppercorns for export, he said.

He suggested building concentrated pepper material areas and providing technical assistance for farmers to ensure food safety and create brands.

Small-scale pepper growers should shift to other crops to avoid economic losses, he recommended.

Vietnam exported 180,000 tonnes of pepper worth 965 million USD in the first nine months of 2017, up 22.2 percent in volume but down 19.6 percent in value compared to the same period last year.

The country is home to about 130,000 hectares of pepper, mostly in the Central Highlands and the south-eastern region, according to the Department of Cultivation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The Central Highlands posted an average yield of 2.86 tonnes a hectare per crop, the highest in the country. Gia Lai had the highest yield of the region, 41.2 tonnes a hectare per crop. In some farms, yield could reach to 10 tonnes per hectare.-VNA
VNA