IDUKKI: For Baiju Mon M K, pepper is not just a crop. It’s a lifelong passion. In Malayinchi, a small village near Idukki’s Thodupuzha, where rubber plantations dominate the landscape, the 50-year-old has chosen to hold on to an older legacy. While others collect coins, stamps or souvenirs, Baiju collects pepper varieties. In fact, his unique collection spans 50 varieties, from the age-old native cultivars to wild forest strains and newly developed hybrids.
Baiju hails from the Malayaraya tribal community, which has been nurturing pepper for generations. However, instead of focusing on a single profitable variety, he grows 50 kinds, each with its own character. His collection ranges from the bold Karimunda and tall Kuthira Vali to the delicate Neela Mundi and dwarf Kochukanikkadan.
Baiju has even added the Indian Institute of Spices Research’s newly-developed IISR Chandra to his farm. “Some have long, graceful spikes; others grow in tight bunches. There are climbers that rise high into the trees, and grafted bush peppers that stay close to the ground. Each variety is like a personality. I enjoy discovering them,” Baiju explains.
On his tribe’s connection with pepper, he says, “For us, pepper was never just a spice, but a part of our culture.”
However, the tradition faced the threat of oblivion over a century ago. In 1885, a wave of powdery mildew disease ravaged vast stretches of pepper vines across Malayinchi.
The spice made a comeback around seven years ago, when a sudden surge in market price reignited farmers’ interest. “It was as though the land itself was reminding us what it was meant for,” Baiju says.
Yet, nature tested them again in 2018. the floods severely damaged soil fertility in Malayinchi, turning lush vines weak and pale. “It felt like everything we rebuilt was slipping away,” Baiju says. With help from Krishi Bhavan officials, Baiju restored the soil’s pH balance and replenished it with the missing micronutrients. “When the soil began to respond, the plants rewarded us back,” says Baiju.
From a modest 150 kg yield in 2020, his two-acre farm touched nearly 1,000 kg in 2024, a sevenfold leap. To cut labour costs, Baiju and his wife Jisha handle most of the farm work. He has also fully shifted to biofertilisers to protect soil health. The produce is sold to Peermade Development Society, which offers around Rs 30 above the market price, ensuring steady profit.