6 months ago
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Karnataka, the largest capsicum producing State successful India, has witnessed a crisp output diminution astatine 44.3% during harvest twelvemonth 2024-25. A similar, oregon adjacent bigger, output simplification is expected during this year’s capsicum harvest scheduled to commence successful February 2026, arsenic per capsicum growers successful the State who spoke with The Hindu.
The State’s capsicum accumulation is estimated to diminution to 47,891 tonnes this twelvemonth from 86,000 tonnes past year, according to the Spices Board. Karnataka has 2,11,497 hectares of onshore nether capsicum production, mostly grown successful java heartlands arsenic intercrop.
India grows capsicum successful 3,09,363 hectares of land. The country’s capsicum accumulation has shown important volatility rising from 61,000 tonnes successful 2019-20 to a highest of 1.26 lakh tonnes successful 2024. As galore arsenic 85,000 tonnes were produced successful 2025, and 74,000 tonnes are expected successful 2026, arsenic per International Pepper Community (IPC), an inter-governmental organisation for planetary capsicum cultivation.
Kerala, the 2nd largest capsicum producer, is besides expected to witnesser an output diminution astatine 28.7%, according to the Spices Board.
Rain impact
The main crushed for drastic capsicum output diminution successful Karnataka is persistent rainfall betwixt May and mid-November, which made capsicum vines susceptible to assorted diseases, specified arsenic ft rot, speedy wilt, anthracnose (pollu roga), leafage rot oregon blight, and besides to implicit demolition of vines successful respective cases.
Bose Mandanna, of Subramanya Estate astatine Suntikoppa successful Kodagu, who grows java and pepper, said, “Due to a agelong spell of rain, deficiency of prima airy and debased temperature, fruiting spikes didn’t acceptable good resulting successful tiny berries. Overall, we are disappointed and are expecting a mediocre harvest this year.”
Apart from these, Mr. Mandanna, besides a Coffee Board subordinate said, incessant rains did not let farmers to transportation retired mean practices similar exertion of fertiliser and fungicide.
According to Salman Baseer, the newly-elected Chairperson astatine Karnataka Planters’ Association (KPA), the diminution successful output is besides due to the fact that of the nonaccomplishment of vines owed to water-logging. Pepper vines are delicate, and they are susceptible to assorted diseases successful bedewed weather.
Not dispersed out
Weather patterns person drastically changed. For instance, galore plantations person received 60% to 65% of the year’s rainfall successful 3 weeks of July itself, helium said.
“The rains are not dispersed out, a immense downpour for weeks led to h2o stagnation. Three to 4 hours of continuous h2o logging and acold upwind tin destruct roots and termination the vines. Many farmers mislaid their vines entirely,’’ Mr. Baseer elaborated.
The KPA Chairperson besides noted that galore caller airborne diseases are coming from Kerala towards South Kodagu, and present hitting plantations successful Sakleshpur area. Extensive ginger farming is besides spreading a batch of aerial diseases, specified antroconas and pytophera, to capsicum vines, Mr. Baseer added.
Aravind Rao, contiguous past Chairperson, KPA, observed that excessive rainfall during flowering has affected the wide harvest prime and vines died owed to speedy dispersed of fungal wilt, this year, astir similar past year.
Silver lining
The lone metallic lining for capsicum farmers is the summation successful capsicum prices. Last twelvemonth it was hovering betwixt ₹600 and ₹650 per kg, and this twelvemonth ₹650 to ₹700 per kg. “However, prices are not expanding successful accordance with the autumn successful production. This is due to the fact that of dense imports from Sri Lanka and different locations nether reduced work rate,” added Mr. Rao.
Sahadev Balakrishna, Chairman, UPASI Coffee Committee, stated, “Income nonaccomplishment for farmers from capsicum could beryllium 20% to 30%. However, we volition cognize the nonstop interaction aft a fewer weeks.”
According to Shirish Vijayendra, erstwhile Chairperson of KPA and a java and capsicum husbandman successful Chikkamagaluru, “Usually, monsoon comes with a fewer days of interruption and sunshine. It was antithetic this twelvemonth and past year. It rained without a break. A batch of diseases similar phytophthora, panicle driblet and speedy wilt person affected the crop. The size of the panicle (flower and fruit) is tiny this year.”
