The International Pepper Community (IPC) will start SMS service of pepper prices from pepper producing countries to farmers on daily basis. An arrangement has been worked out with the Indonesian internet provider Telcom to provide the service free to the farmers, according to VJ Kurian, chairman of IPC and Spices Board India.
Addressing a press conference here today, Kurian said that the IPC meeting was attended by a record number of 139 delegates from 25 countries besides 154 Indian delegates, which included pepper farmers from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.
The existing conflict of interest in arriving at production estimates for pepper by traders and farmers will be removed by direct estimation of figures by the IPC henceforth, he said. An independent body will do the exercise on a regular basis.
The IPC will also recognise the best pepper farmer, best pepper exporter and the best innovation in pepper product development from next year onwards. In order to solve the problems relating to salmonella and ethion in pepper, the IPC will start subsidizing a training programme in pepper producing countries using the Food & Agricultural Organisation assisted good agricultural practices for pepper.
Growth targets for India
For India, the aim is to increase the production of pepper to 1,20,000 tonnes by 2014. The current scheme envisages increasing production in the states of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and the North east. Kerala will contribute 80,000 tonnes and Tamil Nadu 4,000 tonnes while Karnataka would account for 20,000 tonnes and North East for 5,000 tonnes.
The ongoing pepper development programme has set a target of taking pepper cultivation to 68,000 hectares in Idukki district and already 10,000 hectares has been covered so far. In Wayanad, the area is to be increased to 23,000 hectares.
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India will also focus now production of white pepper. The new Spice Park in Idukki district has been provided with a new technology to produce white pepper using enzymes, he said.
Shifting preferences
Global pepper production is facing shortages on account of shift in cultivation from pepper to rubber on account of better rubber prices in countries like Malaysia. In Indonesia, pepper growing areas are facing threat from tin mining which is a profitable venture.
Attraction to cultivation of cocoa is also another cause. However the incidence of disease is also another factor deterring pepper production. Though production levels are down, there has been rise in consumption pattern.
Five percent growth in consumption of pepper has been recorded despite recession. Unlike in the earlier years, consumption of pepper is increasing in some of the pepper producing countries also. In the next one year, the membership of the IPC is to go up. Two more pepper countries, China and Cambodia are expected to join the community.