a UNESCAP Intergovermental Organization
a UNESCAP Intergovermental Organization
Pepper News
8<sup>th</sup> Meeting of the IPC Committee on R & D
During the 2nd and 3rd May 2019, International Pepper Community in collaboration with Malaysian Pepper Board hosted the 8th Meeting of the IPC Committee on R & D in Kuching, Sarawak. The Meeting which was opened by the Executive Director of IPC, Mrs. Hoang Thi Lien, was officiated and inaugurated by the General Director of Malaysian Pepper Board, Mr. Stanley Liew JK and the representative of the Malaysian Ministry of Primary Industry. This two-days meeting was attended by experts in Research and Development of pepper from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Viet Nam.

The Meeting, chaired by Mr. Santhosh J Eapen from Indian Institute of Spice Research (IISR), mainly deliberated on the revision of the IPC Books; Good Agriculture Practices and Pests and Diseases of Black Pepper and also updates on the research and development activities, MRLs and also the cost of production in each respective country. The IPC books are scheduled to be re-published with the new revision in the third quarter of 2019. In addition to discussing the draft of the IPC Committee on R & D Work Plan for the year 2019/2020 which included works Focus on Pepper, Training videos Content, Human Capital Training and many other, the Meeting also ventured the possibilities of developing molecular data analysis of authentic varieties of respective member countries in order to identify fraudulent or mixed pepper. Furthermore, the Meeting also elaborated on the IPC Farmers App project which had been successfully launched for India, Indonesia and Viet Nam, and venturing the implementation of IPC Farmers App project for Sri Lanka and Malaysia.

On the second day of the Meeting, participants from IPC member countries were brought to some of the pepper farms in Sarawak, Malaysia. Participants were able to see first-hand the pepper field and cultivation practice applied in Sarawak as well as its most common varieties. Furthermore, participants were also able to converse directly with farmers on the pests and diseases, fertilizers, irrigations and others applied by the farmers to their pepper.

Previous Publications
- Pepper/Spice Exhibition at Kandy, Sri Lanka, 30th Oct. - 2nd Nov. 2017
- MPB Central Lab, Kuching, to host IPC Quality Training programme in September 2017
- Executive Director of the International Pepper Community to visit Cambodia in June 2017
- Sri Lanka to host the 45th Annual Session of the IPC during 30th Oct - 2nd Nov. 2017
- Sri Lanka's pepper now becomes one of most important spice crops for export after Cinnamon - Bandula Wickramarachchi
- Members to continue organizing the Pepper Day in 2017
- IPC revises Standard Specifications for Pepper and Pepper Products
- Iman Pambagyo, Director General seeks IPC member countries to strengthen collaborative works in responding to the quality related issues
- IPC GMP Book to be printed in different language of IPC member countries
- IPC Inter-lab Proficiency Testing Programme
- IPC Book on Good Manufacturing Practices for Pepper (P. nigrum L.) was launched
- The IPC Special Session held on 09th - 10th January 2017 in Jakarta, Indonesia
- Sri Lanka has confirmed to host the 45th Annual Session and other Meetings of the International Pepper Community in Kandy.
- Mrs. Mariam Ilias named as the Liaison Officer of Malaysia to IPC
- Lampung now has another modern pepper / spice processing unit
- 1st Forum Vietnam Pepper Outlook 2016 organized successfully in Phu Quoc
- VPA to organize 1st Forum Vietnam Pepper Outlook from 17th-19th November 2016
- IPC Executive Director visited Davao, Philippines and met Governor Claude Bautista
- ED attended the 47th APCC COCOTECH
- Dr. Agus Wahyudi named as Director of Spices and Seasonal Crops of the Agriculture Ministry of Indonesia
- Mr. Eng. BANDULA Wickramaarachchi Secretary of Ministry of Primary Industries of Sri Lanka, is the Chairman of IPC for 2016/2017
- Governor Bautista and other officials of Philippines visited Indonesia and Vietnam
- Dato Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom named as new Chairman and Dr. Harry Entebang as new Director General of Malaysian Pepper Board
- IPC announced the winners of the IPC Award Winners for the year 2015
- Minister of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia, urged IPC to strengthen the cooperation among the members on five strategic important issues.