Farmers benefit and earn good incomes; a proposal is made to create a digital map of Vietnamese pepper and spices.

Pepper prices today, December 18, 2024: Growers benefit, earning good income; proposal to build a digital map of Vietnam's pepper and spices. (Source: Times of India)

Today, December 18, 2024, pepper prices in the domestic market remained stable in some key localities, trading between 146,000 and 146,200 VND/kg.

Specifically, the price of pepper today in Gia Lai is 146,000 VND/kg.

Today's pepper prices in the provinces of Dong Nai (146,000 VND/kg); Dak Lak (146,000 VND/kg); Dak Nong (146,200 VND/kg); Ba Ria - Vung Tau (146,000 VND/kg) and Binh Phuoc (146,000 VND/kg).

Thus, domestic pepper prices remained stable in most localities today. The highest price was 146,200 VND/kg.

According to the Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association (VPSA), the Vietnamese pepper and spice industry is increasingly asserting its position in the international market, becoming one of the leading suppliers of high-quality products such as pepper, cinnamon, star anise, and many other spices.

However, in the context of increasingly fierce global competition and stringent requirements from importing markets, improving transparency, management efficiency, and accessibility to international customers is extremely important.

One of the pioneering and strategic solutions proposed by VPSA is the creation of a Digital Map of Vietnamese Pepper and Spices, with funding and advice from the Sippo Organization (Switzerland).

The purpose of the Digital Map of Vietnamese Pepper and Spices is to provide information on the area, production, and growing regions of pepper and spices in Vietnam; information on weather, soil, and harvesting times of spice plants; quality standards, export standards, and characteristics of some Vietnamese spice plants; and to help importers easily find suppliers, exporters, and cooperatives by product type, certification, factory, or production linkage organization…

This year, thanks to high pepper prices, pepper farmers are benefiting and earning good incomes. However, looking at the broader picture, pepper cultivation is also facing many challenges from climate change, increasingly complex pests and diseases, competition with other crops, and rising production costs.

Unpredictable weather patterns, droughts, heavy rains, and fluctuating temperatures pose challenges for farmers in Vietnam. This increases investment costs in irrigation and disease prevention to maintain productivity. Furthermore, the recent drop in pepper prices has led many farmers to switch to higher-profit crops such as durian and coffee, reducing both planted area and total production.

These challenges serve as both pressure and motivation for the pepper supply chain to adjust its farming methods and production processes.

Local agricultural departments have issued recommendations urging people not to plant pepper on a massive scale but to develop it in a more sustainable direction. In addition, relevant agencies have developed standardized documents on the process of planting and caring for pepper plants, as well as managing diseases effectively.

At the close of the most recent trading session, the International Pepper Community (IPC) listed Lampung black pepper (Indonesia) at $6,845/ton, up 0.85%; Brazilian black pepper ASTA 570 at $6,350/ton, up 0.79%; and Kuching black pepper (Malaysia) ASTA at $8,200/ton.

Muntok white pepper is priced at US$9,050/ton, down 0.2%; Malaysian ASTA white pepper is priced at US$10,400/ton.

Vietnamese black pepper is trading at US$6,300/ton for the 500 g/l grade; US$6,600/ton for the 550 g/l grade; and white pepper at US$9,400/ton. IPC increased black pepper prices in Indonesia and Brazil, while lowering white pepper prices.

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