Kalpetta: A severe shortage of monsoon rain in the major pepper-growing regions of South India, particularly Wayanad and the neighbouring regions of Coorg and the Nilgiris, has adversely affected the production prospects of pepper for the 2026-27 financial year. Farmers and experts say the lack of favourable weather conditions has affected flowering, with many flowers failing to develop into berries. Increased flower drop has also been reported from the fields.

Rainfall in June less than half in Wayanad
This year, Wayanad has witnessed a sharp decline in rainfall, which is expected to further impact pepper production.

According to data from the Climate Lab of the Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology, Wayanad, the district received 433 mm of rain between June 1 and June 21 last year. However, during the corresponding period this year, rainfall dropped to just 206 mm.

The situation in Coorg and the Nilgiris is also similar. According to Thomas George, a planter from Ponnampet in Coorg, his rain gauge recorded 87.62 inches of rainfall on June 30 last year, whereas it registered only 11.22 inches in the corresponding period this year.

Thomas told Onmanorama that such a drastic fall in rainfall could lead to a poor pepper harvest in the next season. “Even if we receive better rains in July, flowering, pollination and fruit setting should happen in June,” he noted.

The situation is almost the same across the Nilgiri Biosphere, where pepper is widely cultivated, said Paul Jose, a farmer from Gudalur in the Nilgiris. The incidence of pests and diseases is also expected to be higher this year due to the adverse climatic conditions, he pointed out.

Soft and continuous rain essential for pollination
Farmers and agricultural experts point out that this is the third consecutive year that pepper cultivation has faced poor harvest prospects due to adverse climatic conditions. Last year, excessive rainfall after flowering resulted in large-scale flower drop, while in 2023-24, a lack of rain during the crucial post-flowering period affected fruit setting and reduced yields.

According to agricultural scientist Dr P. Rajendran, former Director of the Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), Ambalavayal, soft and continuous rainfall immediately after flowering plays a crucial role in the pollination and fruiting process of pepper vines. The continuous drizzle locally known as 'nool mazha', literally 'thread-like rain', traditionally received during the June monsoon season, especially around the period of Thiruvathira Njattuvela, has historically contributed to better pepper yields.

Such steady rainfall is essential for effective pollination of pepper flowers, Dr Rajendran said, adding that the prevailing climatic changes were affecting fruit setting and overall productivity.

‘Goodbye pepper’: Farmers shifting to coffee
Farmers say the pattern of gentle, continuous rain has disappeared over the past three years. Instead, they are witnessing either prolonged dry spells or excessive rainfall, both of which negatively affect pepper flowering and pollination. Extreme heat and heavy rains are causing significant flower drop, leading to a decline in production.

According to Shine Kaduppil, a farmer from Padichira near Pulpally, the Pulpally-Mullankolly region, once famous for large-scale pepper cultivation under a monoculture system, has now shifted towards pepper cultivation mainly as an intercrop along with coffee and cardamom.

“Due to unfavourable climatic conditions and market uncertainties, we have shifted our focus to other crops. Pepper now receives only a fraction of the care and attention it received earlier,” Shine told Onmanorama. “There was a time when we harvested up to 2,000 kilograms of pepper from one acre. Now, we struggle to harvest even 100 kilograms from the same area,” he added.

In high rainfall regions such as Meppadi and Vythiri, cardamom cultivation is increasingly replacing pepper, farmers pointed out.

Pepper production in Kerala on a steady decline
Kerala’s pepper production has been witnessing a steady decline over the past two decades due to changing climatic conditions, rising input costs, market fluctuations and increased imports.

According to data from the Department of Economics and Statistics, Wayanad, once known as the pepper basket of Kerala, has recorded a consistent decline in both production and cultivated area since 2000.

In 2000, Wayanad produced 17,915 tonnes of pepper, which declined to 3,672 tonnes by 2010-11. During the same period, the area under pepper cultivation fell from 44,908 hectares to 19,488 hectares.

Data from the Directorate of Arecanut and Spices Development also highlights the long-term decline in Kerala’s pepper output. The state’s production, which stood at 87,605 tonnes in 2005, fell sharply to around 30,000 tonnes in 2023-24. Kerala’s pepper production was estimated at 21,714 tonnes in 2025-26.