The Pepper Day / Pepper Fest is aimed to popularize the different uses and health benefits of pepper in the member countries through a series of cooking demonstration and competition, to be held in different cities.
This promotion programme was initiated to anticipate the gap between the supply and demand that could be wider in the next few years, since in the last two years the pepper prices have been ruling high due to low supply and high demand and this has resulted to the possible increase in the pepper areas as farmers in some of the producing countries have started expending the area under cultivation.
There has been good response from the concerned agencies of the member countries in undertaking the promotiona programme. In India, the Spices Board is working together with the private sector to have the Pepper Fest in Bangalore. Malaysian Pepper Board of Malaysia with the support of the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities is planning to have the function in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Sri Lanka and Vietnam have also confirmed to have the Pepper Fest in Kandy and Ho Chi Minh, while for Indonesia, the promotion programme is scheduled to take place in Jakarta.
The programme to be undertaken by the concerned agencies in the IPC member countries are expected to increase the domestic consumption of the pepper in the respective member countries by promoting the different uses and health benefit of pepper at the function. Efforts to get wide coverage on the programme by printed/electronic media including TV are also being made by the concerned agency.
The IPC wishes to extend sincere thanks to all the member countries for their pro active supports in making the promotion programme a success.