![]() ![]() There is, therefore, a need to develop new technology to improve pepper production and transfer that technology to production site. This experiment was carried out to study the effect of newly developed biochemical fertilizer on some physiological characteristics, yield and soil fertility of pepper. The last nutrient management review of black pepper was done in 1968. The findings showed that manipulating the synthesis condition of cellulose powder influenced its properties which could be further used in various applications. Based on two-way ANOVA test, concentration and cycle of alkaline treatment significantly (p<0.05) influenced the yield, particle size and zeta potential, meanwhile α-cellulose significantly influence by NaOH concentration only (p<0.05). These may contribute to formation of negative surface charge on all cellulose samples which may potentially enhance the functionality of the material as emulsifier. FTIR spectrum at band around 1732 cm-1 indicates a partial removal of non-cellulosic material at all alkalization condition due to the presence of remaining lignin and hemicellulose. The white powder cellulose after 4th cycle treatment with 4% NaOH appeared to have the highest yield (23.63%), α-cellulose (65.97%), crystallinity structure (51%) and better thermal stability at 334 ☌. The obtained cellulose powder was characterized for its yield, α-cellulose content, particle size, zeta potential, morphology, whiteness index, crystallinity degree and thermal stability. In this work, the effects of alkaline concentration (4, 5, and 6% NaOH) and number of soaking cycle (3 & 4 cycles) on the characteristics of cellulose from pepper pericarp were investigated. Hence, finding an optimum way to remove the non cellulose components without degrading the cellulose structure is essential. It is underutilised agro-industrial waste which could be a promising natural source of cellulose. Pepper (Piper nigrum L.) pericarp is an agriculture waste in the production of white pepper. Given this, the performance of the Malaysian pepper industry has fallen below expectations. While experiencing low prices, smallholder pepper farmers and the industry continue to struggle with low domestic consumption, low production, higher cost of farm inputs, lack of extension services, low impact of research, development and innovation, ageing farming population, intense competition from other producing countries, low prices for quality pepper, limited subsidy to support continuous farming, pepper-related diseases, lack of new technology, and poor investment in downstream activities. In fact, pepper prices have declined more than 70% since 2015, which affected the overall household income of the rural community engaged in pepper farming. ![]() ![]() However, continuous new planting and farm expansion initiatives by major producers caused the total global pepper supply to exceed consumption in 2018. Globally, the overall supply and demand of pepper continue to increase, though the demand has recently exceeded supply. The findings of the study show that even though pepper is mostly used in food-related industries, its potential in pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical sectors remains underexplored. Besides conducting interviews with the industry experts to gain first-hand information, content and thematic analysis was employed based on secondary data research in this study. This paper highlights the development and performance of the pepper industry in Malaysia and discusses practical strategies and recommendations to transform the pepper industry. Regarded as a sought-after 'king of spices', pepper has become one of the most prized and important commodities traded globally. Despite continuous efforts implemented by various related agencies, the overall performance of major commodities, particularly pepper, remains unsatisfactory. The National Commodity Policy 2011-2020 was developed to increase the national income by harnessing the potential of commodity export revenues.
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