#SARAWAK PEPPER FREE#

Today, Vietnam has over 200 enterprises engaged in the pepper industry. Challenges facing pepper industryĪfter the war in 1975, Vietnam embarked on massive pepper growing in the 1980s. Pepper is also known to enhance digestion and the immersion of nutrients. Known to be rich in vitamins A, C and K, pepper also contains potassium and calcium and is generally recognised for its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. Pepper contains antioxidants, which work to normalise movements of cells in the body. Malaysia aspires to be among the top three pepper-producing countries in the world over the next decade. The MPB has invited investors from the peninsula and Sabah to invest in the pepper plantation sector.

Saraspice has assumed all the commercial activities previously carried out by the MPB. Saraspice, a wholly owned subsidiary of the MPB, was incorporated in September 2019 to undertake MPB’s trading role. Following this, the commercial activities undertaken by MPB were corporatised to avoid a conflict of interest. In 2019 the federal government decided that MPB, as a government agency, should only focus on the development and enforcement related to the pepper industry. Besides bureaucratic matters, the board’s commercial activities include the purchasing, marketing and distribution of peppers. The development of the pepper industry is under the purview of the Malaysian Pepper Board (MPB). READ MORE: Forest loss, monoculture plantations and floods in Sarawak The flavour is milder than Tellicherry or Wynad – a delicious all-purpose peppercorn, grown and processed with care.” They are medium-sized, with a bold flavour that blossoms into mingling flavours of fruit, cocoa and woodsy spices. The state ranks behind other top producing countries like Vietnam in terms of quantity, but Sarawak pepper is sold at a premium price due to its superior quality.Īs one website describes it: “Black Sarawak peppercorns are among the best in the world. Sarawak ranks among the world’s top five producers of pepper (Piper nigrum L) with around 90% of its annual production of around 25,000 tonnes for the export market. At the Semongok agricultural research centre, the pepper germplasm comprises 47 accessions of Piper nigrum and 46 accessions of other Piper species. Through research, two cultivars – Semongok perak and Semongok emas – have been released to farmers. In Sarawak, the most widely grown cultivar is the ‘Kuching’ variety. Since 1972 native pepper farmers have been mainly actively engaged in farming through planting schemes supported by the Department of Agriculture. The price of black pepper has soared by 79%, whereas white pepper surged 60% from the previous year. In 2021 Malaysia’s exports of pepper amounted to 7,407 tonnes valued at RM154m.Ībout 70% of local pepper exported is black pepper, the balance being white pepper. Ibans and Bidayuhs account for around 85% of the 36,000 pepper farmers in Sarawak. Pepper is a key cash crop grown in Sarawak. Pepper in the state is mainly grown in hilly areas. Today, pepper farms are located in the Sarawak districts of Kuching, Samarahan, Sri Aman, Betong, Sarikei and Sibu. READ MORE: Prioritise real needs, not building an overpriced tallest flagpole - NGOs Sarawak’s pepper sector hit its peak in the 1960s and 70s, in the absence of strong competition from other countries. Pepper was brought into Sarawak in around the 1840s by Chinese migrants who took an active interest in growing the spice, mainly in Bau, Baram, Trusan and Limbang. Many still refer to this spice as black gold. One of the most important ingredients in cooking, it is known as the “king of spices”. The final product is segregated by colour, aroma and spiciness.īlack pepper is the most popular form of pepper marketed globally. Pepper also varies depending on how it is reaped and treated. Make a pledge or schedule an auto donation to Aliran every month or every quarter.Make a one-off donation to Persatuan Aliran Kesedaran Negara, CIMB a/c 8004240948.

#SARAWAK PEPPER FREE#

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