Weekly Publications

MARKET REPORT

Market this week showed a mixed response with a rather negative outlook as only India origin was reported with an increase. In local market, Malabar black pepper was traded with an increase of 1% as compared to the previous week with an average of USD 4,382 per Mt. Indonesia black and white pepper was reported stable at an average of USD 1,753 per Mt for black pepper and USD 3,141 per Mt for white pepper. Malaysian black and white pepper were traded domestically with a 2% and 1% deficit respectively as opposed to the previous week averaging at USD 1,820 per Mt for black pepper and USD 3,239 per Mt for white pepper. Furthermore, the ongoing harvest season in Viet Nam pushed Viet Nam black pepper to be traded with a 2% deficit as compared to the previous week at an average of USD 1,597 per Mt. Whilst, Viet Nam white pepper was reported steady with an average of USD 2,410 per Mt. Sri Lanka black pepper was traded with a 1% deficit as compared to the previous week at an average of USD 2,916 per Mt.

International market followed similar trend in local market as only India recorded an increase. India was reported trading its Malabar black pepper internationally with the same increase of 1% as compared to the previous week at an average of USD 4,662 per Mt. Indonesia black and white pepper were reported stable with an average of USD 2,174 per Mt for black pepper and USD 3,740 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 reported with a greater loss in international market and were traded with a 7%, 6% and 5% deficit respectively when compared to the previous week at an average of USD 1,900 per Mt, USD 2,000 per Mt and USD 3,000 per Mt respectively. The decrease of FOB price in Viet Nam could be contributed to China demand in recent week was static and it has an impact due to Viet Nam was the biggest supplier for China pepper market.

The Lunar New Year holiday which was followed immediately by the devastating outbreak of the Corona Virus have china market in the past 5 weeks were reported inactive as no business took place. Reports coming in from Hainan stating that people remain in their house and refraining from going out.

EXPORT OF PEPPER BY MADAGASCAR

Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately 400 kilometers off the coast of East Africa. Madagascar is one of the producers of pepper in the world and actively export pepper to various countries.

In 2017, Madagascar was reported to have exported a total of 1,983 Mt of pepper from which 95% or 1,889 Mt of it comprised of whole pepper and 5% or 94 Mt of it ground pepper. Madagascar on average exported a total of 165 Mt per month in 2017 which peaked in December with 580 per Mt. The total revenue of Madagascar's export of pepper in 2017 was reported to be as high as USD 6.9 Million. Thus, recording an average price of the total pepper exported by Madagascar at USD 3,462 per Mt for whole pepper and USD 4,054 per Mt for ground pepper.

Year 2018 saw an increase in term of quantity of pepper exported by Madagascar. Madagascar was reported to have exported a total of 3,313 Mt of which 90% or 2,986 Mt of it comprised of whole pepper and 10% or 328 Mt of it ground pepper, recording an increase of 67% when compared with 2017. The average export of pepper by Madagascar in 2018 was reported to be at 276 Mt per month which peaked in January with 538 per Mt. In accordance with increasing in terms of quantity, Madagascar's revenue from pepper export was also reported to have increased by 33% as compared to the previous year to a total of USD 9.2 Million. Thus, recording an average price of the total pepper exported by Madagascar at USD 2,824 per Mt for whole pepper and USD 2,471 per Mt for ground pepper or a decrease by 18% and 39% respectively as compared with 2017.

At the end of 2019, Madagascar was reported to have exported a total of 3,696 Mt which 98% or 3,639 Mt of it comprised of whole pepper and 2% or 57 Mt of it ground pepper. Thus, recording an increase of 12% when compared to 2018. The average export of pepper by Madagascar in 2019 was reported to be at 308 Mt per month which peaked in October with 620 per Mt. By the end of 2019, the total revenue of pepper export by Madagascar was reported to have reached USD 7.1 Million, recording a decrease by 23% as compared to 2018. The average price of the total pepper exported by Madagascar in 2019 was reported at USD 1,919 per Mt for whole pepper and 2,079 per Mt for ground pepper or a decrease by 32% and 16% respectively as compared with 2018.

Pepper from Madagascar is widely traded in Asia, Europe and Africa. In 2019, Madagascar's top 5 Country of destinations for its pepper were reported to be United Arab Emirates with 440 Mt (a decrease of 19% as compared to 2018), France with 389 Mt (an increase of 11%), Sudan with 384 Mt (an increase of 75%), Pakistan with 316 Mt (a decrease of 30%) and Belgium with 299 Mt (a decrease of 1%). The significant decrease of export to Pakistan was the result of Pakistan starting to shift importing pepper from Brazil instead of Madagascar (an increase of 1,629 Mt of Pakistan import from Brazil).