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Pepper demand-supply disparity concerns growers

G. K. Nair

KOCHI, Aug. 28

THE widening gap between demand and supply in the world pepper scenario has become a matter of concern for the producing countries.

As against a demand growth of four to five per cent for pepper in the world, the growth in production was estimated at 11 per cent and the disequilibrium was expected to widen further if concerted efforts were not taken to raise the consumption of pepper , Mr Kishor Shamji, President, India Pepper and Spice Trade Association (IPSTA) told Business Line.

The global production of pepper during 2000 was put at 2,37,213 tonnes as against last year's 2,18,740 tonnes, while the projection for 2001 was 2,63,023 tonnes. The total demand including in the producing countries was estimated at around 2.2 lakh tonne s, leaving a surplus of around 40,000 tonnes, Mr Kishor Shamji, who has returned after attending the International Pepper Community (IPC) meeting in Thailand last week, said.

Expressing concern over the wide gap between the global consumption and production, the IPC meeting emphasised the need to popularise the use of pepper in various other applications such as medicine.

Currently, it is mainly used in the food industry.

``It could be used in medicine and as food preservative", he said adding, the IPC had decided to popularise these aspects world over. In order to achieve this objective, he said, the IPC had decided to approach international agencies to seek their financ ial support for its endeavour. IPC would, as part of its campaign, participate in an international food fair to be held in Frankfurt in December, 2000. Similarly it would participate in other international fairs also, he said.

Global consumption had to be increased corresponding to the production levels, he said. When the prices shot up in recent years, all the producing countries, probably except India, had enhanced their production. But, none had taken any efforts to raise t he consumption levels to match the production. Except India, the domestic consumption in other producing contries was negligible, he pointed out. Out of India's projected production for 2001 of 70,000 tonnes, 32,000 tonnes had been earmarked for domestic consumption.

According to IPC members, the production in Brazil was estimated to go up to 30,000 tonnes in 2001 from 28,000 tonnes in 2000. Similarly, production in Indonesia had been projected at 64,500 tonnes. Malaysia 29,000 tonnes, Sri Lanka 5,700 tonnes, Thailan d 8,823 tonnes. Thus the production by the IPC countries was estimated at 2,08,023 tonnes as against 1,86,713 tonnes in 2000. The domestic consumption of IPC countries was put at 61,723 tonnes in 2001, up from estimated 56,500 tonnes in 2000. Production by the non-IPC countries(Vietnam,China and Madagascar) was also estimated to rise from 50,500 tonnes to 55,000 tonnes in 2001.