Vietnam's pepper export in 2000
Ha Noi, Jan. 10 (VNA) -- Viet Nam was the world's third producer of pepper and earned more than USD 140 million from exporting 36,000 tonnes in 2000.
General Statistics Office figures show that the pepper was exported to 30 countries and territories and the major importers were Singapore, the Netherlands, China and the U.S.
The exports totalled almost 16 percent of world supply after India and Indonesia.
The Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry says from 500 ha and 500 tonnes in 1975, the crop has been expanded to 26,500 ha, with an average output of 2.45 tonnes per ha.
The Eastern Nam Bo, the south, is the country's major pepper growing area with 15,000 ha under cultivation producing 3.13 tonnes.
The Central Highlands has 6,350 ha of pepper, the southern central region, 2,345 ha; the northern central region, 2,073 ha; and the Mekong delta, 650 ha.
However, despite the export success, low-yield strains and obsolete processing technology is hampering production.--VNA
