Vietnam has surpassed India which had a modest harvest this year, to become the world's largest pepper exporter.
In April, Vietnam exported 16,000 tonnes of pepper, valued at 80million USD. In the first four months of the year, 42,000 tonnes ofpepper worth 208 million USD were exported.
TheMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) the price of pepperhas continued to soar since 2007 and experienced a massive surge lastJuly.
During the latter half of 2010, the price ofpepper increased by 45-60 percent when compared to prices from the firsthalf of the year, the ministry said.
The ministry says that the price is likely to increase until the end of May.
Beginning in June, the price will likely hinge on export volume from big pepper suppliers in Indonesia and Brazil .
The Ministry of Industry and Trade expects the country to export120,000 tonnes of pepper this year, worth 470 million USD.
Although the country will export a large amount of pepper for a goodprice this year, Vietnamese experts claim there is still room forimprovement.
Despite of the fact that Vietnam hasbeen one of the world's biggest pepper producers and exporters, thecountry often sells its pepper at prices that are lower than those fromIndia , Brazil and Indonesia .
The Vietnam Pepper Association says that Vietnamese pepper is exported through many middlemen.
Moreover, the country exports raw pepper, while other countries export high-quality processed pepper.
To further develop the sector, experts say that the industry needs tofocus on branding its product and improving the quality of its pepper./.