The exports of renowned Kampot pepper, one of Cambodia’s only 2 products to be registered as a Geographical Indication (GI) in the European Union (EU), have now been stymied because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chan Rith, Director of Kampot provincial agriculture department, said that currently there are more than 130 tonnes of Kampot pepper remain in storage which cannot be exported especially to the EU and South Korea because those countries are being hit hard by the pandemic.
Ruth however said that although the exports of Kampot pepper are affected, the price has not dropped.
Kampot province has so far planted pepper trees on a total area of 398 hectares, and the trees on the land of 135 hectares are big enough to be harvested, he said, adding that annually average yield is 2.5 tonnes per hectare. Ngoun Lay, President of the Kampot Pepper Promotion Association, said the harvest season runs from March to late June, at a time when the pandemic is still ongoing.
He said that about 50% of the Kampot pepper is shipped to EU and 20% to other markets comprising of the US, Canada, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong. The remaining 30% is consumed domestically.
Kampot pepper comes in 3 varieties i.e. black, red and white-selling for about US$15, US$25 and US$28 per kg respectively.
Cambodia’s Kampot Pepper has no takers during the pandemic
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