Phu Quoc island district in the southern province of Kien Giangis making all-out efforts to improve the quality and value of pepper,its traditional product, aiming to obtain the Global Good AgriculturalPractice certificate.

With 385 hectares of peppertrees, mostly in Cua Duong and Cua Can communes, Phu Quoc reaps nearly1,000 tonnes of pepper a year.

The locality plans toexpand its area of pepper trees to 500 hectares by 2015 and 1,000hectares by 2020 with expected yield of 3 tonnes per hectare.

In 2011, the National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnamgranted a licence to Phu Quoc pepper, helping the district to affirm itsproduct’s traditional value and quality while creating conditions forit to introduce its product to the world market.

PhuQuoc district is working on a pepper growing process in an efficient andeco-friendly manner and will transfer it to farmers.

Local officials have said they target clean and safe products to serve both domestic consumption and export.

According to Nguyen Minh Truc, Head of Phu Quoc’s Economic Office, thelocality targets organic and sustainable cultivation of pepper treeswhile paying attention to promoting its brand name in the domestic andforeign market.

Apart from specialties such as pearl,seafood, fish sauce and wine, pepper cultivation in Phu Quoc isdeveloping in a sustainable manner in combination with service andtourism, contributing to the locality’s socio-economic growth.-VNA