Ayoob A, Community Wellbeing
Pepper is deeply woven into Kerala’s food habits and traditional medicine, and it remains one of the state’s most rewarding crops for farmers. With the arrival of foreign traders and colonial powers, pepper rose to global prominence. Known scientifically as Piper nigrum, it is widely believed to be native to Kerala. Far more than a mere spice, pepper is a commodity that helped shape world history, earning it the name “black gold.”
Workshop Organised to Revive Pepper Farming
Pepper production has fallen sharply in recent years because of climate change and the spread of plant diseases. To help revive the crop, the Keystone Foundation and Nattarivu Padana Kendram jointly organised a one-day workshop.
The workshop was inaugurated by V. S. Sunilkumar, Agricultural Officer of Edavaka Grama Panchayat. He noted that poor rainfall in major pepper-growing states, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, had already reduced production. He warned that the upcoming El Niño phenomenon could further reduce yields and urged farmers to prepare for these challenges.
Nutritional and Medicinal Value
T. C. Jose, Chairman of the Block Haritha Samithi, spoke about the nutritional richness and medicinal properties of pepper. He highlighted its long-standing place in traditional remedies and household use, underlining why its cultivation deserves renewed attention.
The technical session was led by Muhammadali, a well-known pepper farmer from Wayanad. He explained in detail how pepper can be cultivated using scientific methods to improve yield and resilience. He introduced pepper varieties he developed and demonstrated a low-cost method of preparing organic fertilisers using ten different types of leaves.
Field Visit
As part of the programme, participants visited Muhammadali’s farm to observe his cultivation techniques and pepper varieties firsthand. They also had the opportunity to ask questions directly.
A total of 38 farmers took part in the workshop, which gave them both the knowledge and the inspiration to restore pepper cultivation in their own fields.
