Vietnam's spices are displayed at the 10th Chili Pepper Festival held recently in Italy. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam is the world’s largest producer of pepper, 180,000 tons of which was shipped overseas in the first seven months of this year. But the pandemic has caused a decrease in supply and a drastic increase in logistics costs, reducing its flow to the US, EU, and China.

Le Duc Huy, an executive member of the Vietnam Pepper Association, talked about ways to restore exports of Vietnamese pepper. “Vietnam’s pepper exports account for 60% of the world’s total. Improved pepper quality and product diversity, including whole black pepper, ground white pepper, green pepper, and pepper soaked in vinegar, are our winning points. Advanced, environment-friendly production has expanded as concerns about sustainability on the part of  farmers, cooperatives, and export firms have grown. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development considers pepper a staple of Vietnam’s farm exports. The Association continues to seek more sustainable production models,” Huy said.