Coffee, pepper enterprises and farmers should connect well
A farmer harvest pepper in Cam My district, Dong Nai province |
In 2016, Vietnam ranked second in the world in coffee exports. It sold 1.78 million tonnes of coffee for US$3.34 billion, up 32.8% in volume and 25% in value. However, export value remained low as most coffee beans were exported unprocessed.
Similarly, Vietnam mainly exports raw pepper, but a lack of varieties and diseases are causing a decrease in the quality of Vietnamese pepper.
VPA Deputy General Secretary Nguyen Mai Oanh said that although the ministry of agriculture and rural development established a pepper research centre in Gia Lai province, Vietnam has to date have no standard set of varieties.
She requested more efforts to find good pepper varieties suitable for Vietnam’s land and weather.
Foreign partners are willing to pay 10%-20% higher than normal if Vietnam can provide clean and safe pepper, she added.
According to Deputy Minister Doanh, 98% of Vietnamese pepper is shipped abroad. Therefore, he asked businesses to work with farmers to ensure safe and sustainable pepper production.
In 2016, Vietnam’s pepper exports reached 177,893 tonnes, earning US$1.43 billion, an increase of 35.3% in volume and 13.5% in value year-on-year.