SHIVAMOGGA : Black pepper cultivated in the Malnad region is now referred to as ‘black gold’ by the farmers. The soaring price of pepper in the Indian market is fetching the cultivators more profit.
Deputy director of Horticulture Department Vishwanath told Express, “Pepper is being cultivated as a mixed crop in both areca and coconut plantations. The price of pepper in the market has gone up to `600 from `300 in 2013. A healthy lone pepper creeper gives about 3 to 4 kg of pepper and a normal pepper creeper will fetch about 1.5 kg to 2 kg of black pepper.”
Black pepper is being cultivated as a mixed crop and as of 2013-14 it covered about 1,270 hectares in Shivamogga.
From the total area of cultivation, the yield of black pepper was 422 tonnes by the end of 2014.
There is not much agriculture labour involved in managing black pepper creepers. Waterlogging enables cultivators to get a higher yield. A disease that attacks black pepper creeper is wilt - a fungal disease.
“This wilt can be treated effectively with trychoderma - an organism that should be mixed with organic manure. This mixture should be given to the roots of the creeper before the commencement of the rainy season either in May or June and after the rainy season during September or October.
“This mixture has an antagonistic effect and sustains the creeper well,” said Vishwanath.
New Trends: Farmers in Sorab taluk of the district are opting for major cultivation of pepper by planting Silver Oak trees around which the creepers can grow.
As the growth of the tree is fast, the farmer can go for cultivating pepper with a two-year-old plantation.
Latest Concept
Farmers of Shivamogga and neighbouring places like Udupi, Ankola, Chikkamagaluru and Mangaluru are grafting black pepper with Piper colibrimium for a special variety, suitable for dry region, on an experimental basis.
“A study has to be taken up by agriculture scientists on this new concept,” opined Vishwanath.
The processing of black pepper is neither expensive nor labour intense. Right from harvesting to processing, the work takes only a day or two besides requiring just two labourers at the most. Since pepper is used worldwide, farmers can think of exporting it. They can store the pepper longer to reap profits.
The Department of Horticulture is giving a subsidy of `10,000 per hectare for pepper cultivation. Interested farmers, including areca growers, can consider black pepper as a major source of a better livelihood.