Vietnam to join Pepper Community

Vietnam to join Pepper Community

HANOI: Vietnam, the world's largest pepper producer and exporter, will join the International Pepper Community (IPC) in September, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said on Thursday.

The communist nation will formally accede to the inter- governmental organization during its 32nd annual meeting in Indonesia Sept. 27-30.

"When Vietnam becomes a full member of the IPC it will have better access to the latest information on science and technology and production," said Nguyen Viet Vinh from the ministry's international relations department.

"Membership could also result in Vietnam being able to increase its exports of pepper with not only countries in the region but across the world, thereby expanding its global markets," he added.

In the first quarter of this year Vietnam produced 17,000 tones of pepper worth US$23 million, a 9.6 percent year-on-year rise in volume and a 2.7 percent increase in value. -- AFP