Davao Occidental black pepper production area rated ‘five star’

MALITA, Davao Occidental—A “five-star” nursery of black pepper seedlings has risen here and some 10,000 hectares of land are being prepared to boost efforts of this newly created province to become one of the country’s top producers of the popular spice.

The seedlings are intended for distribution to farmers in Malita, Sarangani, Sta. Maria, Don Marcelino and Jose Abad Santos towns, Gov. Claude Bautista said.

Just recently, executives from the Jakarta-based International Pepper Community (IPC) visited the nursery and pilot farm in Barangay Demoloc.

Rating the place as “five-star,” W. Don Lionel Gunaratne, IPC executive director, said “I am impressed that you got one of the best hybrid varieties (Piper nigrum) in the world.”

Gunaratne, who was accompanied by IPC information officer Nut Haryanto, said he had no doubt the province would become a major black pepper producer and enter the growing market for the spice that has become a necessity for nearly all dishes.

Worldwide, the estimated global consumption of black pepper was 473,000 tons in 2014. Demand is expected to continue growing yearly. Global production of pepper was estimated to reach $10 billion by 2019.

Vietnam was touted to be the world’s largest black pepper producer and exporter, followed by Indonesia, India and Brazil.

The Philippines imports at least 3,000 tons of black pepper from IPC member-countries yearly, Gunaratne said.

Based on soil analysis and climate conditions in the area, he said Davao Occidental was conducive to black pepper production.

“With their (agriculture technicians) knowledge and expertise in the field of pepper production, we are certain that if we expand our pilot farm into a pepper plantation, its produce will be one of the best in the pepper industry,” Bautista said.

To speed up production, the provincial government will form clusters of participating farmers, who will be monitored and managed by a team of agricultural technicians from production to marketing.

Bautista said black pepper fields could also be planted to coconuts, coffee and even agro-forest trees, such as falcata.

“Pepper is one of the most promising crops that we could offer to our farmers in the province since we are assured of its market,” he said.

He said local government units could adopt a “plant-now-pay-later” scheme to persuade farmers to support the venture.