'Black gold' price goes up in State
But the speculation of the merchants is that the price hike may be artificial or there is something fishy about it. The poor yield in the major countries like Brazil, Vietnam and Indonesia may also be the reason for price hike of black pepper.
The price of pepper has been hiked not only in Sirsi market, but even in the major markets of Karnataka like Balehonnuru, Sakaleshpura and Madikeri. But the highest price hike has been recorded in Sirsi market. A fortnight back, the price of pepper was Rs 15,000 to Rs 16,000 per quintal. But only four days back, the price per quintal had reached Rs 22,000.
On Tuesday, the price of pepper in Totagars’ Sale Society (TSS) yard was running between Rs 19,000 to Rs 20,000 per quintal. Pepper is one of the subsidiary crops in areca plantations. But in recent years, the crop has been neglected due to low price and various diseases.
Some farmers have stored the crops as the crop sustains up to 10 years if it is preserved properly. Therefore many farmers were trying to make the best use of the opportunity by bringing the stock to the market.
A senior merchant said that in one week of time, nearly 1,500 gunny bags of pepper had come to the market.
Another merchant said that in the year 1999, the price of pepper had reached Rs 25,000. But in couple of years, the price slashed to Rs 5,000. As a result, many merchants had faced heavy loss in pepper business. Twenty five years back, Uttara Kannada district produces 25,000 quintals of pepper. But due to disease and other reasons, growers had lost interest on cultivation of black pepper.
Now the production ratio has come down as only 3,000 quintals of pepper produces in the district in a year. The stockage of the old crop with the farmers could not be gazed to the present scenario of price hike of pepper.
Pepper is originated in Kerala and the Kochin market holds the biggest share in India’s total pepper production contributing to a staggering 96 per cent. The remaining production is contributed by Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondichery and Andaman and Nicobar islands.
Karnataka contributes 25 per cent of the total production of India as nearly 20,000 tonnes of pepper produces in Karnataka every year. India is one of the major pepper export countries in the world. When contacted, Horticulture Department Joint Director (Plantation Crops) S K Srikanth, however, said increase in price of black pepper has not come to his notice.