According to the Kampot Pepper Promotion Association (KPPA), this famous pepper with Geographical Indications (GI) certification from Cambodia's European Union (EU) has encountered difficulties in exporting due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the Khmer Times reported on April 28.
Export of Kampot pepper is difficult due to COVID-19 epidemic
In an interview on April 27, Nguon Lay, president of the Kampot Pepper Promotion Association (KPPA), said that since the outbreak of COVID-19, the harvested pepper has been stored. in stock because it cannot be exported to EU market.
“I hope that once the epidemic is under control, the demand for pepper will recover. Currently, we only buy pepper from farmers who are members of the Association and store it in stockpiles, ”said Mr. Lay.
However, the lack of income is forcing farmers to stop hiring pepper harvest workers as the spice cannot be exported.
“In addition, due to the absence of foreign tourists, our domestic sales are declining rapidly,” Mr. Lay added.
Across Kampot Province, pepper plantations cover more than 290 hectares of land. The Kampot Pepper Promotion Association (KPPA) has a total of 455 members, including farmers and planters.
Previously, the main markets for Kampot pepper were EU, USA, Japan, China and South Korea. Black pepper was sold at USD 15,000 / ton, while the price of red and white pepper was USD 25,000 / ton and USD 28,000 / ton respectively, according to KPPA.
Kampot pepper has been granted a Geographical Indications (GI) certificate from the EU in 2016. Geographical indications are signs used to indicate products originating from specific regions, localities, territories or countries. be.
Last year, KPPA harvested a total of 120 tons of pepper, of which about 40% was exported to foreign countries.
