STRONG DOMESTIC DEMAND, TIGHT SUPPLY POSITION KEEPS INDIAN READY PEPPER MKT HOT

STRONG DOMESTIC DEMAND, TIGHT SUPPLY POSITION KEEPS INDIAN READY PEPPER MKT HOT
2009/06/01


G K Nair
Kochi, May 31
Strong domestic demand and tight supply position is keeping the spot black pepper prices in India above the June delivery prices of the
exchanges.
Spot price of MG1 was at Rs12,600 a quintal (100 -kg) at the weekend close on Saturday where as the June delivery price at the weekend close was Rs12,320 a quintal.
Availability is said to be very thin.
Domestic buyers from north Indian markets were meeting their requirements by direct purchases from the Coorg Region of Karnataka state where from the material is moved out at Rs125 -127 a Kg to anywhere in India. Similarly, the dealers in Tamil Nadu state was buying from Kerala's Idukki region.
Sharp fall in output in 2008 crop and great domestic demand outweighing the indigenous output would pave the way for increased imports in the coming months as the prices in other origins continued to remain far below than that of the Indian parity. Growers fear that black pepper imported under advance licence for value addition and re-export might enter the domestic market to depress the internal
Meanwhile, Indian futures market during the week witnessed high volatility mainly due to manipulations by the operators who have been pushing up and pulling down the prices under the guise of speculation. Consequently, in fact, the market is shrouded by uncertainty. “In fact, the prices were oscillating up and down without any rime or reason and also without any o-relation to the fundamentals, trading sources told Brazilian Pepper Trade Board. “It is not at all a healthy sign. Real hedgers, be it exporter or domestic dealer, will move out from the market. Similarly, small and medium players are also compelled to go out. Investors are also not coming forward as there is no spot pepper”, they said. “If gambling and manipulation just to make money by a section under the guise of speculation is allowed then futures trading will have no meaning and it will work against the purpose for which it has been introduced”, they pointed out.
All the contracts on the main exchange dropped during the week.
The fall was from Rs264 to Rs342 a quintal at the week end close. June delivery closeted at 12,320 on Saturday.Spot prices also fell by Rs200 a quintal during the week to close at
Rs12,100 (un-garbled) and Rs12,600 (MG 1) a quintal.

INT´L MARKET
Indian parity at the international market ruled above all other origins at $2,650 a tonne (c&f).
Prices of various origins quoted c&f New York in US $ per tonne were MG1 Asta -$2,700-$2,775; Lampong Asta - $2,450; Vietnam Asta -$2,375-$2,400; Brazil Asta - $2,350 fob (nominal parity)
Vietnam white pepper was offered at $3,300-$3,350 and Muntok white pepper at $4,050-4,100 a tonne (c&f).

IPC REPORT
According to the International Pepper Community (IPC) the black pepper market watched on the development in Vietnam as material from this year's crop has entered the market.Local prices at HCMC were down marginally, but fob prices were stable at $1,875 a tonne for 500 GL and $1,990 a tonne for 550 GL. In Lampung, Sarawak and Sri Lanka,
prices were reported up.

WHITE PEPPER
In Bangka, local price eased marginally, by 1 per cent to IDR 36,250 a kg. In Sarawak, prices were up by 2 per cent both for local and fob.
In Vietnam, prices of white pepper were reported stable.