Wayanad: Pepper prices are soaring this summer. The average price in the Kochi market is nearing ₹720 per kg, the highest price in a decade. This week, the average price of black pepper registered an increase of ₹2,600 per quintal (100 kg).

According to market sources, the price of high-quality Wayanad pepper crossed ₹720/kg, whereas export-quality pepper at certain pockets in Karnataka had buyers even for ₹800/kg.  

On Monday, the price of ungarbled pepper in Wayanad market was ₹700 to ₹710/kg. Though the global market is experiencing a lull following the Trump tariff impact, there are reports that the whole pepper would be exempted from the new tariff rates.

In March 2024, at the fag end of harvest season, the pepper prices nosedived to ₹480 per kg as the market was driven by high production. But later, the prices dropped as the actual production was significantly less than the speculated data.

Market sources pointed out that in the month of March alone, the price of pepper rose by ₹48 per kg, and that too when the harvest was at its peak.

According to the figures of the India Pepper and Spice Trade Association (IPSTA), the flow of pepper to the market is dipping due to low production. The weekly flow of pepper to the spice market of Kochi was 191 tons, 6 tons less than the previous week.

According to Kishore Shamji, director of IPSTA, domestic traders under contract with prominent food production companies are rushing to supply pepper to the companies to avoid fines for failing to meet their supply obligations. "International trade is also active. There will not be any 'Trump effect' on pepper export as whole pepper is not included in the list of products to be slapped with high tariffs,” he said.

Kerala's pepper towns of Wayanad, Idukki and Karnataka are witnessing a buying spree. According to Shamji, farmers from Karnataka and Idukky claim that for the best quality pepper, they are offered a price of up to ₹825 per kg in the market.  

Although agricultural experts are jubilant over the price jump, farmers and traders in small rural towns are not as enthusiastic. Due to erratic weather, pepper production has dipped this year.

Though there was ideal rain during the blossoming season (June-July) last year, the unexpected absence of rain and dry weather for a few days after the blossoming period resulted in the widespread fall of the blossoms.

According to Justus Thomas, a farmer from Pulppalli, the harsh sunny days that followed the blossoming period resulted in the widespread fall of flowers. "The continuous, extreme rain that lashed later also left an adverse effect. The pepper production last year was better, and this year it was too weak,” he said.