Pepper, a by-gone legacy of Kerala

For almost 20 centuries, Kerala’s economy grew at the pace of the growth of its pepper vines. Kerala’s economic history’s rendezvous coincided with the fortunes of Pepper, considered the King of spices. We zealously guarded its growth secret. Every trading power from Europe, west, orient, for the last two thousand years had traded with Kerala. Idukki, Wayanad, had been the bastion of pepper cultivation. Kerala’s monopoly over pepper trade has been taken over by Karnataka. Kerala’s coir industry has conceded space to Tamilnadu, which excels in coir pith, coir mattresses, coir fibre. Tamilnadu accounts for double the productivity for Coconut production per hectare. More than 2500 million Coconut nuts are exported through the Port of Tuticorin while Kerala exports none. Activated Carbon and charcoal have been manufactured in sufficient quantitative for both export and internal consumption while our production is feeble. Why does not Kerala’s planning apparatus try to understand why all these are happening? Along the South West Coast(in Kerala) secluded behind the peaks of the Western Ghats slopes that trap the rain laden monsoon clouds, the wealth of the lush land- pepper- that once attracted traders from different lands, countries, were cultivated. King Solomon’s ships came in 1000 BC. In later times, Greeks, Romans came in their galleys and traders from the court of Tang emperors in 7 AD. Christianity, Islam, Jews and other world religions came to Kerala much before it travelled to Europe. Pepper vines thrive best in the tropics in a moist, hot climate at elevation from 1500 ft mean sea level with an evenly distributed rainfall of about 100 inches. The richest growth is seen on fertile flat or gently sloping land, rich in humus with drainage, light shade, etc. Inevitability of twin monsoons, tropical climate, and Black pepper (pipernigum) world’s most widely used spice is indigenous to Kerala. In Sanskrit, it is called, Pippali most valued for its medicinal properties.. Pepper used to be a store of value or an exclusive prize to be had in Kerala coast. Pepper was Kerala’s gold earner apart from being a predominant crop that raked in high returns to the trader of the commodity. Kerala had sizable area under pepper cultivation. According to Kerala Agricultural University study in 2010, there was depletion of 24% of area under pepper when 2.02 lakh hactres (2002) (70% of India’s total production) dropped to 1.54 lakh hactres between 2001-09. Production dipped by 6,000 tons to 42,000 tons (around 42%) and productivity decrease touched 221 Kg/ha from 301 Kg/ha. Karnataka which had a production of 3264 mt in 2007-8 increased their yield to touch 22,032 mt in 2012-13 when over the same period, Kerala’s pepper production dwindled from 41,952 mt to 23,678 mt. Pepper imports during January-Dec 2013 through Kochi Port touched 12,489 tons while its exports declined by 1.25% to 17,592 mt from 17,814 mt. Pepper, popularly known as “black gold” holds a prime position in the world of spices. From an unenviable leadership position in the cultivation, production and sale of pepper for almost 2,000 years, Kerala stands regaled to the Second position after Karnataka which has taken over as the leading producer and seller of pepper. We do not shed copious tears at our weakness? The point of interest that would invoke is why Kerala would import pepper, when it was, once upon a time, great producer and exporter of pepper. Production of pepper in Kerala is not enough to meet even the internal demand. There are 70 major Pepper export firms in Kerala. 90% of the world spice extraction units are positioned in India of which 75% are located in Kerala. Bulk exporters of pepper are concentrating on extraction, processing, and export of value added pepper products. Value added products from pepper include pepper oil, pepper oleoresins, hydrated green pepper, green pepper in brine, canned green pepper, etc. This offers them better economies of scale, storage of shelf life, prices on volume. They have reduced their dependence on pepper within Kerala as plentiful cheap pepper from Vietnam is plentily available. Kerala based pepper export firms buy from Vietnam, convert pepper powder to oil and Re-export. There is a large demand for use of pepper as food condiment, as a preservative and has excellent medical properties for use in medicinal purposes. Kerala produced all the four varieties of pepper namely, black pepper, white pepper, green pepper and ground pepper. There are various varieties of pepper produced and developed like Karimudra, Kottanandan, Paniyur 1, Paniyur 3, Paniyur 4, Paniyur 5, PLD 2, Subhakara, etc. Today, production of these varieties is becoming subdued. Pepper cultivation is on a never-before decline in Kerala, the land of its origin. Are we witnessing the end of a region's historic role? The most surprising part of this tale of decline and perhaps the end of the region’s historic role is the sense of resignation about it that pervades in the pepper tracts of Idukki and the rest of the Malabar Coast. Idukki is one of the most important centres of cultivation in Kerala along with some other monsoon drenched district stretches such as Waynad. Central Kerala includes part of Idukki. Copious quantities of black beads were produced here. It is necessary to look into the cause of decline here and defined steady growth in Karnataka. Karnataka have surged ahead as a good yield was expected from the Plantations. It is mainly due to the prominent alternative bearing tendency shown by the Panniyur 1 variety which is widely cultivated in Karnataka. Better crop management practices, good tending of the vines and the fact that around 80% of the area under pepper is inter-cropped with coffee, which had augured well for the state to mount a strong challenge in pepper production. Pepper acreage in Karnataka is likely to increase further in line with the rise in coffee plantations. Average yield of pepper vines in Karnataka was five to six times higher when compared to Kerala. All the cultural practices like irrigation, fertilizer application and other operations done in time for coffee plantations are timely irrigated which contribute to higher productivity. Kerala, on the other hand is hit by small and marginal holdings, recurrent wave of pest/disease attacks and presence of unproductive vines which have been responsible for the fall in pepper production. 18 quintals(1800 Kg) pepper was realized from 0.4 ha(1 acre), while today it has shrunk to 10 Kg. Ageing pepper gardens, changing weather patterns, unfriendly market conditions. Kerala pepper farmers already hit by returns are making frantic shift to more remunerative crop especially rubber which is yielding high returns. It is difficult for the present pepper cultivators to shift to warmer regions as they are unfit for pepper cultivation. Pepper is a fragile plant, is vulnerable to variations in weather. It needs rain, scattered at specific intervals, sun and warmth, in almost the same measure. Watering the plants in summer and draining out the water during monsoon is a herculean task. No yield from the plant for the first three years when the crop is most vulnerable and is usually ravaged by severe ailments, when they are expected to start flowering, the wither away. National Horticulture Mission has come to the aid of rejuvenation of pepper vines with a package of Rs 120 Cr with each new vine planted gets a subsidy of Rs 28/- for every vine. The farmers are shifting to cardamom which starts the yield from the first year and is more profitable. An acre of cardamom would give 1000 Kg of output and 1 Kg would fetch between Rs 600-700. While for pepper, an acre would fetch Rs 400 per Kg while with a total productivity of 10 Kg, he would get Rs 4,000/-. Many pepper enclaves are giving way to Rubber plantation as well due to attractive returns. Major spice growing pockets in Waynad like Pulpully, Sultan Bathery are now being converted into Rubber. Karnataka pepper cultivation is flourishing while the farmers of Kerala face a disastrous future in continuing with pepper production due to unremunerative demand and ruinous future in Kerala. Karnataka has overtaken Kerala in terms of production, yield, and increasing acreage. The reason for better production in Vietnam and Karnataka are similar. Fresh soil unlike in the degraded disease prone farms of Kerala. Disease tolerant varieties are used for planting. Mattancherry market, main centre for procurement, processing, export of pepper, ginger and other spices, coir, have huge warehouses on the water front. Pepper arrives in boats, barges to be unloaded and stored have all re-engineered as marts selling huge antiques, handicrafts today. Local traders ensured control over its supply during the heydays of pepper growth. Mattancherry which had a concentration of spice brokers is a dying pepper enclave in Kochi. Helplessness of the traditional players and dramatic way the trade is being hijacked by market players with money power has made pepper uneconomical. National Commodity exchange was inaugurated in 2002. With it, Spices especially pepper business transformed. Gradually trade changed, market changed, demand and supply of pepper trade got concentrated in the hands of a few. This led to the downfall of the pepper business in Kerala. With more and more pepper farmers exposed to the vagaries of the Commodity markets, intense international competition, Kochi lost its luster for pepper market and ended up in small sales. Big inventory has become a thing of the Past, with Mattancherry losing its charm and poise. Climate change, mysteries of trade had gone and the supply chain has been seized by multinationals or big retailers. Several multi-national companies such as Mc Cormack-world’s largest private firm- have a joint venture with a local company AVT christening themselves as AVT-McCormick. There are others like Ned Spices (Netherlands), Olan (Singapore), who target traditionally family owned spices exporting units. Ancient Kerala had been famous for her species and it was the fame as the land of spices that brought Egyptians who used spices for making holy oils, perfumes, to preserve the dead bodies of their Kings and queens through mummifications. In 1500 BC Queen Hateshesput sent 5 ships down the Red Sea to Kerala Coast in quest of spices. Alexandria, the great Egyptian City was the trade emporium of oriental spices. Old Testament refers to spices indigenous to Kerala. King Solomon and Queen Sheba (1015-966 BC) exchanged spices. Arabs, Phoenicians were pioneers in this trade. Herodotus (484-413BC) Greek physician, contemporary of Pliny, claims that spices possed medicinal values. (In his work Materia Medica). With Roman conquest of Egypt, the former continued the trade connections with Kerala for its spices and pepper. When Constantinople became the capital, it became a trading post for pepper. Chinese trade relations with Kerala were long before Greek, Rome. Marco Polo, celebrated traveler, talks in awe of the pepper trade. Early Sangam works contain innumerable references to the Kerala’s famous spices trade. Pliny refers to seeing Kerala ships off German coast. [Courtesy: A Sankara Menon, A Survey of Kerala History, pages 53-61), Logan, Malabar Manual, page 254] Vasco-da-Gama’s discovery of the Sea route to the spice lands of Malabar Coast in 1498 triggered by Europe’s obsession with spices particularly pepper (yellow gold). Gama’s feat had two direct results; one, it gave Portugal a secure monopoly over spice trade; two, it destroyed the economies of Alexandria, Genoa, Venice, who owed their prosperity to this priceless commodity. For the next few centuries, Lisbon was the richest European Port, since it remained the key trading center for pepper and other oriental spices. In 1595, Hotman of Holland made a successful voyage of Indonesia. This was the beginning of the end of Portugal’s monopoly over spice trade. By 1605, the Dutch drove the Portuguese from Moluccas. Holland established a firm grip over the pepper producing centre of Lampung in Sumatra and Banten in Java. Indonesia, Bali, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, is some important pepper cultivated destinations aside from India. When the fortune of the Dutch declined, United States of America entered the scene in 1797. When Jonathan Carnes of Massachusetts entered New York, he carried Sumatra pepper worth $ 100.000. The United States cities of Salem and Boston are prosperous pepper cities. Countries set off several voyages of exploration seeking to find its source and control its supply, and these led to the discovery of a sea route to India from Europe and changed the course of history in many parts of the world. No other commodity was perhaps so romanticized in the ancient world as this. Many maritime explorations, fostering cultural exchanges with ancient civilizations which were so enthralled by the oriental spice. Malabar Coast was the epi centre of trade routes and destination of choice for traders from ancient countries. Today, everything seemed lost to the pepper farmers, and the small and medium farmers who cultivated pepper in Kerala will become extinct, while Karnataka, whose cultivation is in the hands of the big cultivators, large industrial houses who do cultivate pepper as a multi crop along with coffee is bound to succeed. Pepper is directed at big purchases from source markets and not cultivators and big purchases are done through national commodity exchanges seeking pepper instead of from terminal markets of Mattancherry (Kochi) which has resulted in money power overcoming demand and supply economics. It is a pity though this has been happening over the last many years, those vociferous critics who claim to protect the farming community and commodity produce, do nothing but maintain eerie silence. There is no Kerala history without pepper and history will definitely place a wreath on its coffin!