Sagaing Region Agriculture Dept to extend chilli pepper sowing acres this winter

Sagaing Region Agriculture Department will boost the production of chilli pepper that has foreign demand this winter.
“Myanmar’s chilli pepper has foreign market potentials and so, the department is planning to extend the chilli acreage,” said U Win Hlaing Oo, head of Sagaing Region Agriculture Department.
The chilli pepper is sent to Myawady by container trucks. It is primarily grown in Mandalay, Magway and Ayeyawady regions.
“The chilli pepper is priced at about K1,100-K1,300 per viss (a viss equals 1.6 kg). The price relies on foreign demand. To maintain the foreign market demand, we need to come up with a technique,” said a grower from ChaungU Township.
There are over 50 acres of chilli pepper in the Sagaing Region, with 17 acres in Mawlaik Township, 27 in Phaungbyin and seven in Dabayin.
Myanmar’s fresh chilli pepper is shipped to Viet Nam via sea route and primarily sent to China and Thailand via the cross-border land, Myanmar Chilli Market and Technology Development Association stated.
Nonetheless, the closure of the major border Muse post between Myanmar and China from 8 July brought Myanmar’s fresh chilli pepper export to China to a halt. Consequently, the chilli pepper produced by the Kyaukse area, which was supposed to be conveyed to China, was shifted to Thailand through the Myawady border post.
It is commonly grown in the Ayeyawady Region and Kyaukse Township of Mandalay Region. The export varieties of fresh chilli peppers are 692,777,999, Demon, Sunshine and Lucky one. — Lu Lay/GNLM