KUCHING, July 15 — Malaysia’s pepper export value amounted to RM54.5 million as of May this year, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
Fadillah who is also Minister of Plantation and Commodities said the export figure was a proud achievement and he hoped this momentum would continue even though the global economy is a little challenging this year.
The pepper industry players were also reminded to prioritise sustainability in all aspects of their operations.
“Nowadays, if we want to market our products, one of the main challenges is that we need to have a certificate and comply with the rules relating to sustainability especially for the European market,” he said in his speech at the launch of the Malaysian Pepper Board’s (MPB) field research station here, today.
He said Malaysia is currently the fifth largest pepper producing country in the world after Vietnam, Brazil, Indonesia, and India.
According to him, the country’s pepper industry registered a commendable performance with export value of RM181.4 million in 2022 compared with RM153.5 million in 2021.
Meanwhile, Fadillah said, to ensure that the pepper smallholders’ fate are protected, his ministry through MPB has taken the initiative to review the assistance schemes that have been provided to them.
“MPB has increased the limit for the New Pepper Planting Scheme to RM46,000 per hectare compared with RM26,000 per hectare and Mature Pepper Planting Scheme to RM25,000 per hectare from RM13,000 per hectare.
“The review process is aimed at ensuring that the smallholders are not affected by the increase in agricultural inputs,” he said.
