ABSTRACT
In Malaysia, pepper has been cultivated for more than a century. About 98 per cent of the crop is grown in the state of Sarawak while the remaining two per cent of production comes from Sabah and Johor. In 1995 total exports of black and white pepper from Malaysia amounted to 14,040 tons, a decline of 37 per cent from the previous year. In 1979, exports of pepper from Malaysia peaked at 37,430 tons. While annual export figures have been erratic and are not totally representative of industry performance, a declining trend can be seen in terms of acreage and estimates of production. Acreage has come down by 14 per cent, from 11,512 ha in 1990, to 9867 ha in 1995 and production from an estimated 31, 000 tons in 1990 to 13,000 tons in 1995, a decline of 58 per cent.
