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