Sustainable production will bring advantages to Vietnamese pepper and spices

	Price hike helps pepper regain high export status
	Vietnam's pepper exports down in volume, but surge in value
	Vietnam's pepper exports surpass 1 billion USD in first 10 months

Pepper prices are in an upward trend.

On November 25, the Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association held the annual conference of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Group on sustainable development of Vietnamese pepper and spice plants.

According to statistics, Vietnam currently has more than 115,000 hectares of pepper growing area, mainly concentrated in the South Central Coast and Central Highlands. With export output accounting for about 11% of the global market share by 2023, the industry has affirmed its important position, especially in major markets such as the United States, the EU, China, India and the Middle East.

In the first 10 months of 2024, Vietnam exported 219,000 tons of pepper and spices. Compared to the same period last year, the export volume decreased by 1.9 percent but the export turnover increased by 48 percent thanks to the increase in prices.

The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Working Group on Pepper and Spices, formerly the PPP Group on Pepper, was established in 2015. The Group is co-chaired by the Plant Protection Department, the Forestry Department, the Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association (VPSA) and IDH Vietnam.

According to Mr. Nguyen Quy Duong, Deputy Director of the Plant Protection Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the strategic goal of the PPP Group on the pepper and spices industry by 2025 is that 70 percent of Vietnamese pepper meets MRL residue requirements; 25 percent of pepper farmers increase their income by 20 percent; 25,000 farmers are trained and have access to agricultural services; 75,000 tons of pepper are produced sustainably.

Assessing the achievements of the partner group, Ms. Phan Thi Van, Program Director, IDH Organization said that the group has contributed to improving the policy system, enhancing management capacity to ensure the responsible and effective use of pesticides, and has also promoted the link between production and the market, creating a close relationship between businesses and buyers.

In particular, the participation of international partners such as the European Spice Association (ESA) and the American Spice Trade Association (ASTA) and the Sustainable Spice Initiative (SSI) has made an important contribution to promoting sustainable pepper production and trade in Vietnam.

According to Ms. Van, in the context of an increasingly demanding international market with strict requirements on pesticide residues, food safety and hygiene, traceability of supply chains and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the Vietnamese pepper and spice industry needs to proactively seize advantages in production, processing and trade.

Ms. Van affirmed that adjusting strategies and adapting to new requirements is the key factor for Vietnam to maintain its leading position in the international market of the industry. In 2025, IDH will continue to accompany public-private partners, supporting the PPP group to complete the targets in the current period, and at the same time build plans and strategies for the period 2026 - 2030.

“The coordination and determination of all parties will contribute to developing the Vietnamese pepper and spice industry in the most sustainable way, increasing commercial value and meeting the requirements of the global market,” Ms. Van affirmed.

From the association's perspective, Ms. Hoang Thi Lien, President of VPSA, pointed out the opportunities of the Vietnamese pepper and spice industry with the central role of farmers.

Specifically, farmers are increasingly aware of the use of biological products and the implementation of sustainable measures. At the same time, the rising price of pepper also encourages farmers to pay more attention to and take better care of their pepper gardens.

In particular, because the prices of other competing crops are good, farmers are not expanding pepper acreage as rapidly as in previous years.

Recently, VPSA has contributed comments and completed the Vietnam National Pepper Standards; developed and completed the draft strategy for sustainable development of Vietnam's pepper and spice industry for the period 2024-2026.

The Association also promotes chain linkages between farmers, cooperatives and exporting enterprises to increase efficiency and transparency in the supply chain to expand export market share in important markets such as the United States and the EU.