Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) is in an effort to revive State’s the black pepper economy.
Ensuring quality and enhancement of productivity are key to reviving black pepper economy, according to a roadmap formulated by a brainstorming session organised by the KAU on Friday.
KAU Vice Chancellor R. Chandra Babu has stressed the need for a multipronged strategy to address the woes of pepper cultivation in Kerala.
Dr. Chandra Babu said proper policy backup — in terms of subsidy, Minimum Sales Price, and distress mitigation — are imperative to ensure farmers’ welfare, which, in turn, would help recover lost ground.
“We have to confess that there exists a gap between research and development and the field situation. Bridging this gap is an essential part of the attempts to revive pepper. Supply of quality planting materials, adherence to scientific farming techniques such as judicious mixture of organic and inorganic inputs, and convergence of extension programmes are vital,” the VC said.
A drive to produce and market certified organic pepper; encouraging pepper cultivation in home gardens; promoting bush pepper; and selective production to ensure demand-based supply were the other main aspects of the roadmap formulated after deliberations with farmers, scientists, and extension workers.
KAU Director of Research P. Indiradevi said studies showed that the biodiversity of pepper in the State and the potential international market for Kerala pepper were intact.
“Soil health management and a price support to protect farmers are important aspects of safeguarding production. Market awareness also has to be promoted. Development and promotion of drought-resistant and shade-tolerant varieties are another step forward. Micro-nutrient supply to enhance grain density, use of bio-control agents, and integrated pest and disease management will be promoted. A report on the workshop will be submitted to the State government to facilitate implementation of the recommendations,” she said.
Farmers’ demand
The main demand of farmers included supply of quality planting materials; a mechanism to predict incidence of pests and diseases; proper advice on plant protection and marketing; and consistent financial support for pepper cultivation.
Farmers from different parts of the State, scientists of KAU and Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR), and officials from the Department of Agriculture participated.
The scientists of Pepper Research Station, Panniyur, which won the best All India Coordinated Research Projects (AICRP) centre award, and Nirmal Babu, Project Director of IISR, Kozhikode, which won the best centre award of Indian Council of Agricultural Research, were felicitated at the function.
