A global conclave of pepper community today pitched for initiating innovative measures to boost the pepper economy by setting new targets for production and export and ensuring remunerative prices to the growers of the 'king of spices'.
The International Pepper Community (IPC), which got underway here, also made a strong plea for a credible roadmap to improve quality, promote mechanisation of pepper processing and make sustainable cultivation of the spice.
"For sustaining the rate of production, realising remunerative prices is an important factor," he said and appealed to the trading community to avoid speculative activity and ensure stable price for a sustainable and inclusive development of the pepper industry.
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The IPC chairman said stringent quality standards in importing countries are "practically difficult" to achieve, particularly in the case of pesticides residues.
Hence, it will be the prime responsibility of the policymakers to ensure the quality of the produce and premium price to the farming community, he added.
Set up in 1972 by the UNESCAP, Jakarta-headquartered IPC is an inter-governmental body of major pepper producing countries with a mandate to promote, co-ordinate and harmonize all activities relating to the pepper economy.
In his introductory remarks, IPC Executive Director W.D.L Gunarathne said pepper producers are currently enjoying the best times with a record production of spice this year, but they should be ready to face new challenges in the years ahead.
In his inaugural address, Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Additional Secretary Rajani Ranjan Rashmi, said the global consumption of pepper, estimated at about 350,000 MT, is consistently growing, which has ensured good returns to farmers.
"However, a fair price to pepper farmers and competitiveness of pepper exports can be ensured only by increasing production and productivity as well as its consumption," he said.
The official said pepper prices have been buoyant during the last year and even touched an all-time high of USD 9.90 per kg for black pepper and USD 13.57 per kg for white pepper in November 2014, which existed at this level in October this year as well. The total export of pepper during 2014 was about 278,00 MT valued at USD 2.30 billion.
"However, the future growth of pepper economy has to be addressed at different dimensions. Prices have to be stabilised through transparency, value additions have to be created and standardisation of products for medicine and global consumption needs to be ensured," he said.
In this context, he noted India has agreed to standardise the black pepper quality under CODEX.
In his keynote address, MP from Mysore-Kodagu constituency Pratap Simha said Karnataka has emerged as the leading pepper producing state in the country, accounting for over 50 per cent of production.
He urged the Central government to support pepper farmers through a special scheme for replanting and new planting in Coorg, Hassan and Chiickmagalore districts of the state and ensure higher rate of subsidy to incentivise more farmers to take up pepper cultivation.
Around 250 delegates from IPC member countries --Brazil, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam -- are attending the convention to deliberate on the recent advancements in pepper cultivation, production, processing, marketing, quality improvement, research and development as well as trade promotion.
India holds the chair of IPC, which rotates among its full-time members every year. India, Indonesia and Malaysia are the founder members of IPC.
