Pepper policy in the making

To boost the price of the commodity and diversify the market, a national strategy for the pepper sector is on the way, a government official announced yesterday.

The policy will be drafted by the ministries of Commerce and Agriculture with the help of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Cambodian Pepper and Spices Federation.

Speaking yesterday at a workshop on the pepper strategy, Mao Thora, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Commerce, said the strategy will be included in the Trade Sector-Wide Approach Policy 2019-2023 (Trade SWAP2019-2023).

Its goals are to boost and stabilise prices and enhance market access, he explained

“We have to diversify the market for our pepper; we can’t continue to depend on Vietnam and Thailand.

“The pepper policy will clearly establish the role of each government and private sector entity,” Mr Thora said.

Song Saran, CEO of Amru Rice and newly appointed chairman of the Cambodian Pepper and Spices Federation, said the national pepper strategy will help industry players assume new roles in the supply chain.

“We have to wean ourselves from our dependency to Vietnam and Thailand for processing the pepper. We have to be a player across the entire value chain, rather than merely suppliers,” he said.

A recent report from the Ministry of Agriculture sheds light on the country’s dependency on neighbouring Vietnam for pepper exports. Last year, national production was 21,000 tonnes. Of that, Vietnam absorbed about 16,000 tonnes, according to the report.

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