Solving Cambodia's Pepper Problems
Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2017 6:09 pm
19 December 2017
- Cambodia is preparing a series of initiatives to help the struggling pepper sector, including the formation of a pepper federation and an official plan to guide the development of the industry, a high-ranking representative of the Ministry of Commerce has announced.
Speaking to a crowd of about 200 farmers and businesses during a forum on the pepper industry in Phnom Penh yesterday, Tekreth Kamrang, a secretary of state at the Ministry of Commerce, said the government is planning to set up a federation for the sector to bring together farmers, traders and processing companies and discuss the most pressing issues affecting pepper production.
“Pepper products are grown all across the country. We need an association to improve productivity, strengthen quality and help the development of this fledging industry,” she said.
Ms Kamrang also said an official “pepper policy” to act as a blueprint for the development of the industry is also in the making.
“We are preparing a pepper policy to face the challenges in the sector,” she said.
The main challenge, Ms Kamrang said, is the low price of the commodity in the local market. Other problems include finding new techniques that can boost productivity and fighting off diseases that are killing the plants.
Por Koung, the CEO of Orchel Farm, a company that owns 12 hectares of pepper plantations in Mondulkiri province, welcomed the announcements.
He said the current price of pepper, $3.5 per kilogram, is too low to generate significant revenue for producers and traders.
“The pepper business is not good this year,” he said. “The price is under $5 per kilogram which is less than it costs to produce the pepper.
“Also, heavy rains in September and October have damaged crops, with 50 percent of them not yielding any fruit,” he said.
Nguon Lay, the president of the Kampot Pepper Promotion Association (KPPA), said that despite Kampot pepper’s prestigious geographical indication (GI) status, much of their production this year hasn’t been sold.
He said his association produced 80 tonnes of Kampot pepper this year, but was able to sell only 63. This is the first year they have been unable to sell their entire production, he said...
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5096659/mov ... per-sales/
- Cambodia is preparing a series of initiatives to help the struggling pepper sector, including the formation of a pepper federation and an official plan to guide the development of the industry, a high-ranking representative of the Ministry of Commerce has announced.
Speaking to a crowd of about 200 farmers and businesses during a forum on the pepper industry in Phnom Penh yesterday, Tekreth Kamrang, a secretary of state at the Ministry of Commerce, said the government is planning to set up a federation for the sector to bring together farmers, traders and processing companies and discuss the most pressing issues affecting pepper production.
“Pepper products are grown all across the country. We need an association to improve productivity, strengthen quality and help the development of this fledging industry,” she said.
Ms Kamrang also said an official “pepper policy” to act as a blueprint for the development of the industry is also in the making.
“We are preparing a pepper policy to face the challenges in the sector,” she said.
The main challenge, Ms Kamrang said, is the low price of the commodity in the local market. Other problems include finding new techniques that can boost productivity and fighting off diseases that are killing the plants.
Por Koung, the CEO of Orchel Farm, a company that owns 12 hectares of pepper plantations in Mondulkiri province, welcomed the announcements.
He said the current price of pepper, $3.5 per kilogram, is too low to generate significant revenue for producers and traders.
“The pepper business is not good this year,” he said. “The price is under $5 per kilogram which is less than it costs to produce the pepper.
“Also, heavy rains in September and October have damaged crops, with 50 percent of them not yielding any fruit,” he said.
Nguon Lay, the president of the Kampot Pepper Promotion Association (KPPA), said that despite Kampot pepper’s prestigious geographical indication (GI) status, much of their production this year hasn’t been sold.
He said his association produced 80 tonnes of Kampot pepper this year, but was able to sell only 63. This is the first year they have been unable to sell their entire production, he said...
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5096659/mov ... per-sales/