Cambodia's famous Kampot pepper wilts in a scorching heatwave May 13, 2024

“It's very hot this year, with no rain, and we don't have water to water the pepper plants,” says farmer Chhim Laem (TANG CHHIN Sothy)

By AFP - Agence France Presse

Cambodia's famous Kampot pepper wilts in a scorching heatwave

Farmer Chhim Laem shakes his head as he walks between long rows of dead bushes, their brown leaves scorched by the heat and drought that have devastated Cambodia's famous Kampot pepper crop.

Known for its intense floral flavor, Kampot pepper is appreciated by the world's best chefs and sells for up to US$200 a kilo.

Cultivated for generations in two provinces in southwest Cambodia, the pepper industry survived the Khmer Rouge genocide and decades of instability, but now faces the threat of extreme weather conditions caused by climate change.

“It's very hot this year, with no rain, and we have no water to water the pepper plants,” Laem told AFP. “So they all died.”

South and Southeast Asia have suffered record-breaking temperatures in recent weeks, with governments closing schools, people dying from heatstroke and farmers praying for rain.

Scientists warn that human-induced climate change will produce more frequent, longer, and more intense heatwaves.

In parts of Cambodia, the mercury almost reached 43 degrees Celsius (109 Fahrenheit) at the end of April, after a six-month drought that pushed farmers to breaking point.

All of Laem's 264 pepper bushes perished, the 55-year-old explained, thanks to the lack of water and the hot climate.

Production has grown in recent years, boosted by the fact that the European Union granted the spice a “protected geographical indication” in 2016, which means that only pepper grown in a designated area can be called Kampot.

The Kampot region produced around 120 tons of peppercorns last year, but farmers say that excessive heat and rain made 2024 the worst year on record.

Laem earned around US$1,000 from his farm last year but said he expects a fraction of that now.

“I'm very sad, but I don't know what to do,” he said.

- 'The worst year' - Nguon Lay

Nguon Lay is a fourth-generation pepper grower, having harvested nine tons from his five-hectare farm last year.

But the 71-year-old farmer didn't expect to harvest anything this year.

“This year we encountered the biggest obstacle,” he said, while examining a dying pepper bush.

Torrential rains destroyed the plants' flowers at the start of the season, and others died with the prolonged drought that followed.

“So this is the worst year. We don't know what to do. We see the problems, but we can't solve them,” said Lay.

Like other farmers, Lay said he knew the problems were caused by the weather and the environment.

Several ponds used to water his plants have dried up, and his employees only water the plantation once every five days.

“We are prepared. We know about climate change, we stored water, we built roofs to protect our peppers from the hot weather, but it wasn't enough.”

“Many bell pepper plants are dying,” he said, adding that he no longer goes to his farms because it's too painful.

“This year, we don't think we'll get anything,” he said, adding that what little can be harvested is of inferior quality because of the weather.

- 'Fight against nature' -

Kampot pepper gained worldwide fame during the French colonial occupation of Cambodia when it was widely exported, but the sector was almost wiped out during the Khmer Rouge era.

In recent years, it has recovered, adorning the menus of trendy restaurants around the world.

The pepper comes in green, black, red, and white varieties - the color changes as the corn matures, with green being the youngest and white the most mature.

Lay said that consumers had no idea of the difficulties faced by Kampot's farmers, but they will soon see the effects.

“By 2024 and 2025, we won't have enough pepper for them to eat,” he said.

“It's zero!”

Kann Sinouch, president of the Kampot Pepper Promotion Association, said he expects this year's pepper production to be halved - and warned of an export shortage in 2025.

He told AFP that climate change had prevented farmers from expanding their farms and instead, they were struggling to keep existing plants alive.

But Chan Deng, who has been growing pepper since the 1960s, said he would not surrender to the unpredictable weather.

“This year, it's unusually hot,” said Deng, 67.

His pepper production has dropped from 300 kilos last year to around 10 kilos in 2024, with 20% of his plants dying due to the hot weather.

But Deng said he will dig more ponds to store water, hoping that in three years production will be good again.

In the meantime, he said, “We will fight against nature”.

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