Pepper - the way forward
2007
Grunslin Ayom, Malaysian Pepper Board
Pepper, the 'King of Spices' originates from India. Said to have spread to the Malay Archipelago as early as 1650, pepper was cultivated extensively in Johore in 1912 and introduced to Sarawak in 1852. By 1970, Sarawak became the main producing state. After peaking at 37,800 tonnes, pepper production fluctuated from 15,000 tonnes to 28,000 tonnes. Traditionally over 95% of the country's production is destined for the export market. However, continuous efforts are being taken to stimulate domestic consumption and thereby increase value-addition activities. Against the background of an annual increase of 5 - 6% from the current global consumption of about 300,000 tones, Malaysia should aim to produce 30,000 tonnes by 2010 and double that figure by 2025. Towards this end, productivity improvement and quality enhancement strategies must be in place. Continuous research towards varietal improvement, cost-saving planting system, pests and diseases co ntrol would be the focus for the upstream activity. Meanwhile, diversification in the use of pepper in food and non-food applications presents opportunities to further value-add and boost consumption, thereby increasing the contribution of pepper to the national economy.
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