Karnataka state replaced Kerala state to become the leading pepper producer, accounting for nearly 50% of the whole Indian pepper output in the last crop year 2014/2015.
According to the estimate of this crop, the whole Indian pepper production is about 70,000 tons, the state of Karnataka accounts for 33,000 tons and the state of Kerala contributes 28,000 tons. In the crop year 2013/2014, the figures were 16,000 tons and 20,000 tons respectively.
According to official news from the Indian Spices Board, a sharp increase in pepper prices and precarious coffee prices are the reason to encourage Karnataka farmers to expand their pepper acreage as a supplementary income crop. Moreover, the farms in Karnataka have used many initiatives to boost pepper production and plan to apply Vietnam's monoculture method of pepper.
In Vietnam, pepper is monoculture with very high density on wooden pillars, concrete pillars or brick pillars. Up to now, many farms in Karnataka have adopted this method and found that this model could be replicated in coffee growing areas, sources said. A delegation from Karnataka with 25 members visited several areas of monoculture development in Vietnam recently as part of a field trip to coffee and pepper growing areas.
Pepper is intercropped mainly on farms in Karnataka …
According to sources, pepper production in Kerala state has halved over the past few years. In the 2008/2009 crop, the state produced more than 41,000 tons of pepper on an area of 175,000 hectares and was the state with the highest production along with the state of Karnataka and several areas in Kanyakumari and Dindigul districts of Tamil Nadu state. However, the rapid death of wilt has contributed to a decline in Kerala's pepper production. The main problem holding back the development is the lack of quality pepper, small and light seeds while the old peppercorns are not effective and many pests. All of these issues are currently being improved in Kerala, the source said.
Pepper is a major component of traditional health care, the most important spice traded in the world, accounting for about 35% of total export earnings ($ 2.3 billion) last year. Pepper price has hit a record level of 9.9 USD / kg for black pepper and 13.57 USD / kg for white pepper.
Source English (giacaphe.vn)
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