LETTERS: Following the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, the country grew pepper on a massive scale in the 1980s and now has over 200 enterprises engaged in the industry.
Last year, Vietnam exported US$950 million worth of pepper, accounting for 60 per cent of the global market.
Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Brazil have also emerged as important pepper producers.
In view of the competitiveness of global pepper trade, a change in mindset is imperative to rejuvenate the Malaysian pepper industry.
That's why people in the "The Land of the Hornbills" can take pride that Sarawak has placed Malaysia on the world pepper map, a remarkable feat for a state with a population of only 2.7 million.
Pepper was brought into Sarawak around the 1840s by Chinese immigrants, who grew the spice mainly in Bau, Baram, Trusan and Limbang.
Sarawak ranks among the world's five leading producers of pepper, with around 90 per cent annual production of 25,000 metric tonnes for the export market.
Sarawak ranks behind top producing countries like Vietnam in quantities, but its pepper is sold at a premium price due to superior quality.
Among the challenges for Sarawak is to entice people to engage in pepper cultivation, amid strong competition from other crops such as palm oil and rubber.
Nevertheless, the quality and brand name of the state's pepper have enabled it to carve a niche in the global markets.
The continued nurturing of Sarawak's upstream and downstream pepper industry along the value chain is imperative for the progress of the industry.
Pepper farms are located mainly in the districts of Kuching, Samarahan, Sri Aman, Betong, Sarikei and Sibu, where the pepper is grown in hilly areas.
Iban and Bidayuh people account for 85 per cent of the 36,000 pepper farmers in Sarawak.
Last year, Malaysia's export of pepper amounted to 7,407 tonnes valued at RM153.7 million.
BEN LOPEZ
Kuala Lumpur
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times