Kampot pepper feeling the heat

Heatwave hardship: Laem picking peppercorn from a dead pepper plant at his farm in Kampot province. (Below) A swathe of dead pepper plants seen at a farm in Kampot province. — AFP

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

Known for its intense floral flavour, Kampot pepper is prized by top chefs around the world and sells for up to US$200 (RM947) per kilo.