Coming down heavily on the illegal import of inferior quality pepper from Vietnam, growers from three States have demanded that the Union government stop the import immediately in the interest of native pepper growers.
The representatives of 14 growers’ organisations, who assembled in Sakaleshpur on Tuesday, have decided to take a delegation to Minister of Commerce Suresh Prabhu on this issue on Thursday.
Pepper growers from Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu participated in the meeting at Hassan District Planters’ Association in Sakaleshpur.
Konkodi Padmanabha, convener of the growers’ association in all three States, said, “India stands first in the world in pepper production. Pepper grown here has medicinal value and so it is valued higher compared to the pepper grown in Vietnam. Many countries have banned pepper import from Vietnam because of its inferior quality. However, now the same product is being imported into India illegally through Sri Lanka, affecting the price of the natively grown product,” he said.
Pepper which was sold at ₹600 to ₹650 per kg a few months ago, is valued at ₹ 350 per kg.
U.M.Thirthamallesh, secretary of Karnataka Growers’ Federation (KGF), told The Hindu that the meeting was historic as representatives of 14 growers’ organisations from three States participated.
“We are all united in our fight against the import of inferior pepper,” he said.
KGF president B.S.Jayaram, vice-president H.T. Mohan Kumar, representatives of Campco, Kerala Farmers Federation, Black Gold League, Kodagu Growers’ Federation, and others attended the meeting.