Farmers are concerned over low production of black pepper in the main pepper cultivating areas of Vathikudy, Konnathady, Rajakumary, Bision Balley and Erattayar grrama panchayats. Despite the Spice Board of India giving subsidy for replanting the pepper plants, farmers say that it has not been found success in replanting due to the changes in climatic and soil conditions in addition to the large scale diseases affecting the plants.
T. James, a farmer in three acres of pepper plants here said that he expect only one-third of the production compared to the last season. “It would have been further declined but because I replanted four years back and some of the plants survived despite diseases affected the new plants also,'' he said. Changes in the climatic and soil conditions and new diseases found affecting the plants resulted in drying up the plants.
It was also found ineffective in replanting pepper in the same areas were diseases affected the plants earlier. He said that even if the prices were above Rs 350, it is not remunerative as there is virtually high fall in production and high labour charges in addition to the extra care needed to the plants to protect from the new diseases. K.N. Mohanan, another farmer said that lack of irrigation facilities forced him to change to other cultivation and the replanting in areas was not possible as the vines were affected with the diseases at tender age.
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For the past few years, the total production declined to one-third in the district, as per the data available with the Agriculture Department. Though, the department provided subsidy to farmers, there was very poor response, an official of the Agriculture Department said.
Farmers shifting to other cultivation like cardamom, when its prices rose above Rs 1,000 a kilogram, was also cited as a reason for poor production. The arrival of pepper in the main market here was very less compared to the same period last year. George Thomas, a trader said that he received only one-fifth of the produce this year compared to the same period last year. He said that farmers could have held back a portion of the stock on the belief of further rise in prices. However, more than that, it is the low production level that affected the stock reaching the market, he said. The prices also are highly fluctuating with daily changes in the price level. The prices which reached Rs 380 per kilogram three days back fell down to Rs 360 on Thursday in the retail market here. The prices, however are unlikely to fall below Rs 350 as there is good demand prevailing in the international market and low production level this season, he said.
It was only a few years back that the prices reached above Rs 250 before reaching the record level of over Rs 350 per kilogram this season.
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