BENGALURU: PEPPER, which has already seen a 40% price surge over the past two years, is now expected to touch Rs 900–1,100 per kg owing to a steady decline in production across major growing regions. Pepper prices that hovered around Rs 400-450 per kg two years ago have now climbed up to Rs 700. Cultivators attribute this to erratic rainfall patterns, prolonged dry spells, and a rise in pest and disease pressure that have all disrupted the fragile growing environment the crop depends on.
Planters from the Karnataka Spice Association and Chikkamagaluru Planters Association said that reduced harvests in countries like Vietnam and Brazil have triggered a global supply crunch, adding upward pressure on prices.
Chandrasekhar Reddy from Karnataka Spice Association said, “We have seen a production decline of up to 40% this season as last year, early summer droughts delayed flowering, and the sudden burst of rain in July affected berry setting which disrupted the crop cycle and affected overall volume.”
Pepper grows as a climber on support trees and requires a specific microclimate — moist air, moderate shade, and soil that drains well. While the Western Ghats usually offer such conditions, recent weather fluctuations in places like Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru — which contributes to major pepper production from Karnataka — have made it harder to maintain stable growing environments, cultivators group said, adding that since last year, there has been an increase in fungal diseases like Phytophthora foot rot and anthracnose, which have worsened due to changing moisture levels in the soil.
“Once a vine is infected, especially with root rot, it’s often a total loss. Replanting takes years before it becomes productive. Combined with weather instability, this has caused a steep fall in yields,” Reddy added.
Jagdeesha MK from Chikkamagaluru Planters Association said that no fresh arrivals are expected for at least next two months and that they are re-evaluating crop allocations as they struggle with lower productivity. This supply crunch will drive the market in the coming months, he said.