| Farmers Told To Venture Into Organic Pepper Farming |
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KUCHING, Nov 8 (Bernama) -- Farmers should venture into organic pepper farming to boost the industry in the competitive global market, Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan said today.
Dr Chan, who is also the state's Modernisation of Agriculture Minister, said organic pepper farming, which does not use any pesticides and chemicals, would bring high returns as the demand for organically grown pepper was rising in the global market.
"We should produce organic pepper as there are not many countries producing it. As we have vast land resources and the expertise, we can go far with organic pepper farming.
"Organic pepper fetches premium prices in the world market," he told reporters after attending the 22nd annual general meeting of the State Farmers' Organisation (SFO) here Thursday.
At present, Sarawak, which started pepper cultivation during the Rajah Brooke eras, produces about 95 per cent of the country's total production of pepper which amounts to about 20,000 metric tonnes annually.
Some 67,000 farming families are involved in pepper cultivation and production is expected to increase to 30,000 metric tonnes annually by 2010.
-- BERNAMA
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