Vietnam pepper exports 5 times that of India.

KOCHI: Vietnam, the world's largest pepper producer, has clearly outstripped India in the exports of the commodity. As per data available with the Vietnam Pepper Association (VPA), during the recently-concluded financial year 2011-12, Vietnam shipped almost five times more pepper than India, the second largest producer and exporter of pepper.

Vietnam exported 121,935 tonnes, while Indian exports were only 25,500 tonnes, the VPA data showed.

During the January-March fourth quarter period of fiscal 2011-12, Vietnam's exports touched 31,063 tonnes, more than the total exports of India during the entire financial year. Vietenam accounted for 60% of the world's total pepper exports.

India's export earnings were Rs 845 crore, while those of Vietnam were more than Rs 2,500 crore in the last fiscal. The major markets for Vietnam pepper are the US, Holland, Spain, Germany, Singapore, West Asia and India.

During the January-March period, exports to the US and Germany declined, with US imports at 837 tonnes and Germany's at 310 tonnes. Meanwhile, exports to most West Asian countries increased with a total of 2,063 tonnes, Spain imported 1,628 tonnes, followed by Singapore (1,172 tonnes), India (1,070 tonnes) and Holland (696 tonnes), VPA said.

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com