In a move to further tighten up its screws on the import grounds, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has ordered its officers appointed on important Indian ports to thoroughly check the pepper imported from Vietnam. The move came just after the last stock arrived in the country found to be contaminated.
Giving details, a senior FSSAI official said, “We have received information from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) that the pepper imported from Vietnam is contaminated with large quantities of pesticide residue, and is being diverted via Sri Lanka. Therefore, we have asked the officials to keep strict vigilance and surveillance on such imports.”
According to Spice Board India, “India is the largest consumer of black pepper. Around 70 per cent of the pepper is consumed in India.”
“The pepper which is imported is of a cheaper quality and a lower price (almost half that of the Indian pepper),” it added.
“According to various reports, the Vietnamese pepper is contaminated with large amounts of pesticide residue. However, in order to sell the commodity, the traders are importing and sending it via Sri Lanka, as India has signed a free trade agreement with that country,” Spice Board India said.
R Sanjith, joint director, United Planters’ Association of Southern India (UPASI), and a leading pepper planter said, “While production had stagnated, the domestic demand was growing.”
“The domestic demand has been growing at four per cent annually, with the current demand estimated to be 70,000 tons per annum,” he added.
“Due to the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA), import upto 2,500 tonne from Sri Lanka is duty-free. Above that, it attracts just eight per cent, whereas the import of pepper, in general, attracts a duty of 70 per cent. Thus, cheaper and inferior-quality pepper is being reportedly being sold as Indian pepper in the country,” Sanjith said.