Karnataka has overtaken Kerala and become the country’s leading pepper producer, accounting for 45% of the total production.The Centre’s Spices Board data puts Karnataka ahead of Kerala for the second year running. While Karnataka produced 33,000 metric tonnes of pepper in 2014-15, against Kerala’s 28,000MT, the margin widened in 2015-16 as Karnataka’s yield remained 33,000MT and Kerala’s fell to 26,000MT.
Kerala’s decline, to a great extent, has been because of its black pepper vines falling to quick wilt, a disease that causes sudden wilting, drying and death of the vines. In Wayanad district in Kerala, farmers lost almost 90% of their vines to the disease. The Spices Board has taken up extensive research to contain the pest. The sudden scourge, however, has turned the focus on pepper production in south Karnataka districts.
Pepper is grown in several parts of Karnataka, mainly in Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga, Madikeri and Kodagu.
Alternative to areca, rubber
The state’s plantation growers have adopted the spice as an economically profitable alternative to areca (palm), coffee, rubber and coconut. The spice crop is grown in the middle of coffee plants, said Bose Mandanna, former vice-president of Coffee Board and a leading planter in Suntikoppa in Kodagu. At least 40 pepper vines are planted in an acre of robusta coffee plantation. This goes up to 80 vines if it is an arabica plantation, because these are grown at lower heights and produce less coffee per hectare.The harvest is done during February-March.
“Kodagu accounts for 25% of the pepper production in the country,” Mandanna said. An acre fetches 100kg to 150kg of pepper but with intensive cultivation, some growers get up to 500kg.
There is some difference in the production data of the government’s Spices Board and the National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX), but both sources indicate that Karnataka is beginning to unseat Kerala from the No.1 spot. NCDEX data shows Karnataka having a big lead over Kerala in 2014-15, marginally losing out to Kerala the following year, but regaining the lead in 2016-17.
NCDEX says India accounts for 17% of the world’s production of pepper, and is the second largest producer after Vietnam. The exchange relaunched its pepper contract on the platform in July, after about five years. In just three days, it saw a total volume of 807 tonnes of pepper, valued at Rs 38 crore, being traded.
Sarat Mulukutla, chief (commercial segment) of NCDEX, said considering the rise in pepper production in Karnataka, the exchange is launching a third delivery centre in Hassan. The other two are in Kochi and Kozhikode in Kerala.
Attractive price
Anish Madappa of T Shettigeri in south Kodagu said pepper production had grown in Karnataka for a decade due to the good price it fetches. Ten years ago, a kilo of pepper fetched Rs 260, now it is about Rs 680. Coffee planters have started growing pepper on poles with the help of biomass, leading to a jump in production. Drip and sprinkler irrigation have helped minimise water loss and increased the yield per acre. “Once a high rising (pepper) creeper is planted, it will provide yields for 35 to 50 years with little or no investment,” said Kannagi Sheshadri, a farmer cultivating plantation crops in Theerthhahalli taluk. “The plants need to be carefully treated to achieve maximum yield. I reaped 12 tonnes last year and hope to double it this year,” said Joney Mathew, a farmer with crops in Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru districts.
“Pepper produced in Kodagu is of the best quality,” said Madappa. “This is because we normally use only Bordeaux spray, which contains lime and copper sulphate.” The spray helps protect the pepper vines from fungal problems and resists quick wilt disease.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Bangalore News / by Shalina Pillai & G. Rajendra & CV Raghavendra Rao / TNN / September 26th, 2017
