In the first 5 months of the year, Vietnam’s exports of ginger, garlic, and turmeric increased 3-14 times over the same period last year, earning millions of USD.
Vietnam has affirmed its position as the top spice exporter in the world, reaching a turnover of about 1.5 billion USD per year. In particular, pepper ranked first with a 5-month export turnover of nearly half a billion USD, up 21% over the same period in 2023. In addition to pepper, the breakthrough of other spices such as ginger, garlic, and turmeric has been recorded this year.
Data from Customs shows that turmeric exports reached 3 million USD, up 14 times over the same period last year; ginger reached 5.6 million USD, up nearly 9 times; and garlic reached 4.7 million USD, up 3 times.
Exports of turmeric, garlic, and ginger have increased sharply this year.
Similarly, Vietnamese chilies are purchased by many countries. In the first 5 months of the year, the export turnover of this item was about 44.5 million USD, up 10% over the same period last year.
In contrast, cinnamon exports fell more than 4% to 96 million USD, and star anise fell 15% to 27.3 million USD.
Industry experts said that exports of many spices increased sharply in the first five months of the year due to a decrease in world supply. Meanwhile, demand for spices from the US, China, and Japan has increased. Currently, the US, China, India, the UAE, and the Philippines are among the top 5 countries that favor Vietnamese spices.
According to the Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association (VPSA), Vietnam ranks third globally in terms of spice exports and occupies many important markets. However, the industry is still facing many challenges. In the past 5 years, pepper production has been severely reduced because trees have been cut down.
VPSA forecasts that pepper production this year may decrease by about 10-15%, to 160,000–165,000 tons. Star anise is also facing difficulties due to a lack of planning.
Other spices such as chili, ginger, and turmeric are constantly in a state of “good season but low prices” and lack quality control. In particular, the cinnamon area has increased from 13,863 hectares in 2000 to 186,000 hectares in 2023, making Vietnam the country with the largest cinnamon area in the world. Last year, cinnamon bark production reached 72,000 tons. However, the cinnamon industry does not have a sustainable development strategy yet.
VPSA recommends that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should provide specific solutions for each type of crop and develop appropriate mechanisms to promptly meet the requirements of the market. In addition, the Ministry needs to handle chemical residues in herbicides and pesticides for products such as cinnamon, chili, ginger, and turmeric.