RI's pepper exports rose 5% in 1st quarter

RI's pepper exports rose 5% in 1st quarter

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia exported 5,234 tons of pepper in the
first quarter of this year, 6 percent higher than the 4,950 tons
in the corresponding period of 1998, according to the
International Pepper Community (IPC).

IPC said on Tuesday that Indonesia's pepper exports in the
three month period comprised 1,705 tons of black pepper and 3,529
tons of white pepper.

Indonesia's monthly pepper exports totaled 1,736 tons in
March, comprising 356 tons of black pepper and 1,380 tons of
white pepper. The figure represented a decrease of 8 percent
compared to 1,883 tons in February and 1,615 tons in January.

IPC said the lower exports in March were due to the extremely
low exports of black pepper, caused by a very limited inventory
in the country's main black pepper producing area of Lampung.

Indonesia is the world's top producer of white pepper and is
ranked the second highest black pepper producer after India.
White pepper is mostly grown on Bangka Island, South Sumatra, and
accounts for 90 percent of the country's output, while black
pepper is produced in Lampung, also in South Sumatra.

IPC said India, the world's top producer of pepper, exported
10,802 tons during the period, an increase of 20 percent compared
to 8,991 tons in the same period of 1998.

The world's number three producer, Malaysia, exported 3,164
tons during the January-March period of this year, an increase of
13 percent from the 2,800 tons recorded in the first quarter of
1998.

The country exported 2,482 tons of black pepper and 912 tons
of white pepper during the period.

IPC said the world pepper market during March was active, and
demand increased as supplies in consuming countries was very
limited.

Harvesting season in India is almost over, but crops arriving
at Kochi, the country's main producing area, are not as large as
expected.

IPC said prices in the three main producing countries in March
consequently remained strong compared to prices in February.

In Indonesia, pepper prices have also improved. Lampung black
pepper was traded at Rp 32,400 (US$3.8) per kilogram in Lampung,
while white pepper was quoted at Rp 60,500 per kilo in Bangka,
IPC said.

IPC is an intergovernmental organization of pepper producing
countries comprising Brazil, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri
Lanka, Thailand, Papua New Guinea and Micronesia.

Earlier this year, IPC estimated Indonesia's pepper exports to
drop by 26 percent to approximately 30,000 tons this year, from
37,800 tons last year, due to unfavorable weather conditions.

Total pepper exports from the three main producing countries,
India, Indonesia and Malaysia, rose by 15 percent to 19,200 tons
in the first three months of this year, from 16,741 metric tons
in the same period of 1998.

World pepper exports were recorded at 125,957 tons in 1998,
compared with 138,589 tons in 1997.

IPC said 1998 was the world's lowest pepper export year in the
past decade. (gis)