Pepper News

Mr. WDL Gunaratne, the Executive Director and Mr. Nur Haryanto, Information Officer of IPC visited the Liaison office of the Government of Indonesia to IPC and met with Mr. Deny Kurnia, Director of APEC and International Organizations Cooperation, Directorate General of International Trade Cooperation of the Ministry of Trade on 20th January 2015.

Mr. Deny is the Alternate Liaison Officer of the Republic of Indonesia to IPC after the Director General of International Trade Cooperation, Ministry of Trade. He was the Plenipotentiary Representative and Head of Delegates of the Indonesia to the 42nd Session of IPC held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, last October 2014.

Other senior officials including Mr. Ery Yunas, the Deputy Director and Mr. Angga the Section Head of Commodity Organizations were also present at the meeting.

Among the issues discussed during the Meeting were the programmes and activities of the IPC to be undertaken jointly by the IPC and member countries, including Indonesia during 2015 which covers the following activities:

IPC supports to the development of the Pepper Industry in Indonesia;
Plan to have join visit to pepper growing areas in Indonesia to update the current development of the pepper production and market situation;
Plan to introduce intercropping Pepper and Tea in selected Tea plantations in Indonesia; Undertaking generic promotion programme to increase the domestic consumption of pepper through organizing Pepper Day 2015
The preparatory works for the IPC Session and Meetings to be hosted by Brazil in 2015
Launching of IPC Guidelines to control Pests and Diseases (Pengendalian Hama dan Penyakit Lada - in Bahasa Indonesia)
Plan to have an IPC delegation to Cambodia during 2015
Preparation for the International Pepper Conclave in Shanghai, June 2015
Proposed Meeting of the IPC Panel to Review the IPC Agreement
Indonesia is one of the founding members of IPC along with India and Malaysia. During the last 10 years, Indonesia is estimated to produce on average 58,000 MT of pepper annually. Indonesia is a major producer of white pepper which comes from the Province of Bangka Belitung and black pepper is mainly produced in the Province of Lampung. Other main pepper producing areas in Indonesia are in East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bengkulu and South Sumatera.

Pepper Garden in Belitung island, Indonesia

Indonesia also produces a number of other spices and herbs for domestic and international markets including Nutmeg/mace, Cassia, Cloves, Long pepper, Cardamom, Ginger, Turmeric and Chilies.