Karnataka to overtake Kerala in pepper production this year

Karnataka is set to oust Kerala from the top spot in pepper production this year.

Harvesting of the new crop is at its peak in the Coorg region of Karnataka. The latest estimates suggest that 28,000-30,000 tonnes of pepper is expected from the state — around 12,000 tonnes higher than last year.

On the other hand, a 40 per cent output loss in Kerala on the back of unfavourable weather conditions has led to an overall production of only 15,000 tonnes in the state. Tamil Nadu is the third main pepper producer.

Taking into account the three states’ production for the current season, the country’s crop output is estimated in the range of 48,000- 50,000 tonnes, which is 5,000-7,000 tonnes lower than the usual annual crop size.

Extreme heat in the summer, followed by heavy rainfall during the flowering season in April-May badly hit production in Kerala. In many plantations, there was a production fall of 40-50 per cent. The domestic market is not active as speculation in the futures markets raises the spot prices abnormally.

Meanwhile, imports of pepper has risen and around 1,500 tonnes have been imported from Indonesia in the last 6-8 weeks by value-added processors. This is expected to continue till June owing to wide gap in prices between India and Vietnam.