Kampot pepper almost sold out before harvest

PHNOM PENH, Nov 14 - Kampot pepper, one of Cambodia's protected designation of origin products, has nearly sold out ahead of the annual harvest, Kampot Pepper Association President Nguon Lay told the Cambodia Herald Monday.

“We expect to harvest around 20 tons from January to May 2012 and we have already signed sales contracts for almost 18 tons," he said.

Nguon Lay said the association had decided to sell its products to two major export companies, with the rest going to domestic clients.

“We sell black pepper at USD 8 per kilogram and white and red pepper for up to USD 15 per kilogram," he said.

Nguon Lay said the area covered by Kampot pepper plantations was expected to expand from 12 hectares to 20 hectares over the next two years.

“This year we have only 22,300 pepper trees. But next year we will have more than 30,000 so our yield will increase from this year," he said.

The international market for Kampot pepper now includes at least 11 countries in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. According to the Ministry of Commerce, in the first nine months of this year, Cambodia's pepper exports were worth USD 608,089, up from USD 54,560 a year earlier.

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