Weekly Publications

MARKET REPORT

Market this week showed mixed responses with only Malaysia and China recorded decrease. In local market, Malabar black pepper was traded positively with an increase of 3% as compared to the previous week with an average of USD 4,676 per Mt. Indonesia black and white pepper was reported stable with an average of USD 1,632 per Mt for black pepper and USD 3,016 per Mt for white pepper. Malaysian black and white pepper was traded negatively with a 3% and 2% deficit respectively as opposed to previous week at an average of USD 1,877 per Mt for black pepper and USD 3,378 per Mt for white pepper. Furthermore, Viet Nam black and white pepper was reported steady and relatively unchanged. Sri Lanka black pepper continued showing a strong outlook this week with an increase of 14% as compared to the previous week and was traded at an average of USD 3,536 per Mt. Whilst, China white pepper was reported with a 2% deficit as compared to the previous week with an average of USD 4,488 per Mt.

In international market, the trend also showed mixed responses with only China recorded decrease. FOB price of India black pepper was reported with the same 3% increase as compared to the previous week at an average of USD 4,956 per Mt. Indonesia black and white pepper was reported steady with an average of USD 2,031 per Mt for black pepper and USD 3,593 per Mt for white pepper. Malaysia black and white pepper continued to be traded stable and unchanged. Furthermore, Viet Nam black pepper 500 g/l, 550 g/l, and Viet Nam white pepper were also reported stable as the market slowed down, averaging at USD 2,324 per Mt, USD 2,389 per Mt and USD 3,474 per Mt respectively. China was reported with a 2% deficit as opposed to the previous week with an average of USD 4,688 per Mt.

IMPORT OF PEPPER BY GREECE

Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic is a country located in Southeast Europe. Greece is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. It shares land borders with Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Turkey. Greece actively imports pepper from various pepper producing countries for domestic consumption.

In 2017, Greece was reported to have imported a total of 1,461 Mt of pepper which 82% or 1,195 Mt of it comprised of whole pepper while 18% or 266 Mt of it was ground pepper. The average import by Greece in 2017 was reported to be 122 Mt per month with the highest quantity recorded in November with 186 Mt. The total expenditure of pepper imported by Greece was reported to be as high as USD 8.3 Million, recording an average price of the total pepper imported by Greece at USD 5,304 per Mt for whole pepper and USD 7,494 Per Mt for ground pepper.

Year 2018 saw a slight increasing trend in term of quantity of pepper imported by Greece. Greece was reported to have recorded a total of 1,493 Mt which comprised of 74% or 1,099 Mt of whole pepper and 26% or 394 Mt of ground pepper. Thus, recording an increase of 2% as compared to the same period in 2017. On average Greece was reported to have imported 124 Mt per month which peaked in September with 265 Mt. Although increasing in terms of quantity, Greece's expenditure for pepper import was reported to have declined by 34% to a total of USD 5.5 Million, recording an average price of the total pepper imported by Greece at USD 3,601 per Mt for whole pepper and USD 3,957 per Mt for ground pepper or a decrease by 32% and 47% respectively as compared with 2017.

Pepper import by Greece as of July 2019 was reported with an increase of 33% as compared with the same period in 2018, totalling at 1,085 Mt which comprised of 677 Mt of whole pepper and 408 Mt of ground pepper. The total expenditure of pepper import by Greece as of July 2019 was reported with a decrease of 23% as compared to the same period in the previous year, totalling at USD 2.7 Million.

The top five countries of origins of Greece's pepper both for whole and ground as of July 2019 were reported to be Viet Nam with 415 Mt (a decrease of 16% as compared with the same period in 2018), Bulgaria with 307 Mt (an increase of 729%), Brazil with 174 Mt (an increase of 107%), Poland with 53 Mt (an increase of 32%) and Indonesia with 29 Mt (an increase of 164%). The rather significant decrease of Greece import from Viet Nam could be contributed that Greece started to shift import to other origins country such as Brazil (an increase by 90 Mt as compared to the same period in 2018) and Indonesia (an increase by 18 Mt as compared to the same period in 2018) and also Greece started to shift import to Bulgaria (an increase by 270 Mt as compared to the same period in 2018).