In the first four months of the year, the country earned USD 270 million from shipping 103,000 tons of peppercorn abroad, down 12.2 percent in value and up 18.6 percent in volume year-on-year.
The average export prices of the spice stood at 2,619 USD per ton, a yearly decline of 25.9 percent.
In the southern province of Binh Phuoc, one of the country’s biggest peppercorn producers, close to 20,000 tons of peppercorn have been harvested in this year’s new crop.
In 2018, Vietnam exported about 232,000 tons worth USD 758 million, up 8.1 percent in volume but down 32.2 percent in value.
Vietnam’s peppercorn output this year is predicted to reach around 200,000 tons, according to the International Pepper Community (IPC).
Output of black pepper was forecast at 175,000 tons, while the remainder would be white pepper.
The IPC also predicted the peppercorn output of the world’s biggest exporters such as Vietnam, Brazil, Indonesia, and India in 2019 would be lower than last year.
The Foreign Trade Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade said up to 95 percent of Vietnam’s peppercorn output was exported.
Experts suggested local peppercorn producers and exporters should associate and connect with international customers to expand their consumption markets, as well as improve the quality of its products.
Source: VNA