According to preliminary statistics from the Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association (VPSA), Vietnam's chili pepper exports in September reached 474 tons with a turnover of USD 1 million, a decrease of 39% compared to the previous month. Laos was Vietnam's main chili pepper export market in September with 206 tons, followed by China with 154 tons.

In the first 9 months of 2024, Vietnam exported 9,274 tons of chili peppers, with a total export turnover of USD 22.2 million, an increase of 5.3% in volume and a sharp increase of 31.8% in turnover over the same period. The leading export markets include: China and Laos, accounting for 33% and 43% of market share.

Chili is a familiar fruit to Vietnamese consumers, sold at prices ranging from VND 22,000 - 28,000/kg. Farmers consider chili peppers a crop with high economic value because they have short-term growth characteristics, can be intercropped with fruit trees, and do not require much care, therefore, suitable for the farming conditions of farmers across the country. Normally, chili peppers are planted around September to November every year. After 2 months of planting, chili peppers will start to yield 3-4 harvests in about 3 months, with the highest quality fruit and an ideal weight of up to 4kg per plant.

Globally, chili is grown on an area of ​​about 19.89 million hectares. The main chili-growing countries are India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, Romania, China, Nigeria and Mexico... Particularly for dry chili, India is the world's leading producer and exporter, accounting for more than 6.11% in 2021, followed by Vietnam, China and Indonesia. India is also the world's leading producer and consumer of chillies with about 36% of global production.

In Vietnam, chili plants in Dong Thap and especially in Thanh Binh district are considered the "largest chili granary in the West". The communes in the island area and the communes along the Tien River are the areas with the largest chili growing areas. The output of fresh chili is more than 22,500 tons/year. According to statistics, the chili growing area in Dong Thap province is currently nearly 2,000 hectares/year, with an average yield of more than 10 tons/ha.

Besides, Lang Son is also one of the key chili growing areas, the chili growing area in the province reaches more than 1,479 hectares, an increase of 91 hectares compared to the 2022 crop year.

China has been the largest export market for chili peppers in recent years. According to experts, because Vietnamese chili peppers are highly spicy and come in many different varieties such as chili peppers, hot peppers, yellow horn peppers, etc. all very spicy, they are favored by this market.

Previously, from March 2022, fresh chili from Vietnam was approved for export to China. All shipments of fresh chili must be quarantined and clearly annotated with relevant parameters in the phytosanitary certificate.

In 2023, chili exports reached a turnover of USD 20 million, equivalent to more than 10,000 tons, a sharp increase of 107% compared to 2022. Vietnam is one of the largest chili producing countries in the world.

Kylie Nguyen