China - October 15, 2024

Peppers grown for their rich pigments in northwest China's Xinjiang

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In this part of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, peppers are cultivated not for food, but for their rich red pigments.

A range of industries use pepper extracts as healthy and eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic coloring agents.

With the pepper harvest season in full swing, local manufacturers are cranking up production to meet demand for pepper-derived colorants and other products.

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Li Haimin, employee, tech group in Xinjiang:

"We've been actively purchasing peppers grown by local farmers. We plan to purchase more than 26,000 hectares of pigment peppers."

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With long daylight hours and significant temperature variations between day and night, the region in Xinjiang boasts an ideal climate for pepper farming, with locally produced pepper-derived products exported to countries in Africa, and Southeast and Central Asia.

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