Pepper

Pepper is a tender, warm-season vegetable. It is the most popular spice in the world. It is sold in both black and white varieties and for the most part is imported from India, Indonesia, and Borneo. It is sold in whole or ground varieties, and is used in almost every dish imaginable.

Pepper plants require somewhat higher temperatures, grow more slowly and are smaller than most tomato plants.

VARIETIES OF PEPPER

Pimiento
Tabasco
Cayenne
Chili
Paprika
Bells - most popular in the US

RECOMMENDED VARIETIES

Hybrid Bell
- Bell Boy (70 days to harvest; goes green to red)
- Lady Bell (72 days; goes green to red)
- Purple Belle (70 days; immature purple, black to red)
- Chocolate Bell (75 days; green to chocolate brown)
Sweet Frying or Salad Type
- Gypsy (65 days to harvest; pale yellow to orange to red)
- Sweet Banana (70 days; pale yellow to orange to red)
Hot Peppers
- Cayenne, large thick (70 days to harvest)
- Cayenne, long, slim (73 days)
- Jalapeno (70 days)
- Red Chili (84 days)

Selection of Storage

For practical purposes, in this section, peppers will be divided into two categories:
- sweet peppers
- chili peppers.

Sweet peppers

Sweet green bell-shaped peppers are the most popular garden variety. Left to ripen, they turn red, purple, orange or yellow and gain various levels of sweetness depending on the variety. Although the paler green and yellow tapering varieties have more flavor, all sweet peppers are similar in flavor and texture. They are crisp and refreshing raw, and pleasantly assertive when cooked to tenderness. Green bell peppers are a main ingredient in Louisiana Creole and Cajun cuisine as well as Italian and Mediterranean cooking. Peppers can be harvested from July to October. They are delicious in the green stage, the sweeter ripe stage or anywhere in between. Due to the short Chicagoland growing season, many sweet peppers never reach full maturity/ripeness.

Chili peppers

Chili peppers are famous throughout the world from the fiery cuisines of Mexico, India, Thailand and Africa to the subtle flavor enhancement of the most delicate dishes. The hot varieties can also be picked at any color stage, but are hottest if allowed to fully ripen. Chili peppers ripen through a wide range of colors from yellow, orange, purple and even brown. Some chili peppers turn bright red, which is more often an indication of ripeness rather than hotness.

Chili peppers are perennial subshrubs native to South America, which are grown as annuals in our colder climate. They range in hotness from mild to fiery hot. The burning sensation is attributed to chemical compounds called capsaicinoids, which are stored in the light-colored veins, on the walls, and surrounding the seeds. Capsaicin acts on the pain receptors in the mouth, not the taste buds. Experts agree that long hot dry summers produce the best (hottest) chili peppers.

India in World Pepper Industry

Yield depends to a certain extent on the varieties grown. Varieties with smaller pods will produce less weight per acre. Figures do not include bell pepper production. The countries are ranked by total yield. Also, some notable chile pepper-producing countries, such as Burma, Pakistan, Peru, Bolivia, Bangladesh, Tanzania, and Hungary were not included.

Country	Year	Acreage (In Acres)	Yield (Dry Equiv. Tons)
India	1986	2,202,746	707,900
Mexico	1988	156,840	536,000
Indonesia	1986	498,940	387,000
China	1988	148,200	212,500
Korea	1986	326,331	202,841
Thailand	1985	143,652	116,501
Ethiopia	1971	600,704	102,200
U.S.A.	1988	31,201	49,921
Taiwan	1986	7,047	21,218
Malaysia	1985	2,848	13,836
Japan	1984	351	400

According to a 1993 study by the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, India again was ranked first in pepper acreage. The U.S. was eleventh (bell pepper production included) and Mexico was sixth. Remember that yield varies by variety and cultural practices.

Country	Acreage
India	2,230,000
Ethiopia	608,000
Indonesia	541,000
Korea	331,000
China	215,000
Mexico	204,000
Bangladesh	197,000
Nigeria	193,000
Thailand	151,000
Pakistan	144,000
U.S.A.	125,000
Sri Lanka	101,000

Factors influencing pepper quality

Variety selection
Plant population
Mineral nutrition
Water - Soil Moisture and Rainfall
Pest Management
Growing temperature
Wind
Harvest time
Harvest method
Washing
Cooling packing
Storage

Factors influencing pepper market

Indian pepper is at a premium against all the international grades. However, the production and exports of pepper from other locations has a profound influence on Indian pepper prices too.
Weather and the annual production of a year.
Year ending stocks and stocks-to-consumption ratio.
Indian pepper arrives in the market in the beginning of the year. However, distress selling is not witnessed in pepper and the producers hold back the stock in anticipation of better prices.
Government policies with regard to imports and exports.
Traders allege large-scale imports of pepper from Sri Lanka and re-export from India as a major price depressing factor and Government has been asked to take measures to stop this practice.

Important world pepper market

New York
Singapore
Rotterdam
Lampung at Panjang (Indonesia)
Sarawak at Kuching (Malaysia)
Vietnam at HCM City (Vietnam)
Kochi

Note : Kerala is considered to be the premium grade of pepper and rules above the international grades.

Indian Scenario

India harvests most of its pepper at the beginning of the year. During 2003, production of pepper in India was reported to be 65,000 tons against 80,000 tons in 2002.
Kerala accounts for 90% of India's pepper production. The other producers are Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
During 2003, Indian exports of pepper amounted to 17,200 tons, registering a 31% fall compared to exports of 24,914 tons in 2002. The export in 2003 was the lowest quantity of pepper exported from India during the last four decades. This quantity was only 64% of the average export over the last five years. In terms of export share, India contributed only 8% to total producing country exports in 2003, a fall from the 14% of average share during last five years.
Developments in the spice industry in India have significantly affected exports. During 2003, export of whole pepper from India was only 26% of the total production, against 31% during 2002. The main market for Malabar black was United States, which traditionally imported around 50% of India's exports, followed by Canada, Netherlands and Italy. However, during 2003, only 30% of India's export was shipped to the United States

Global Scenario

The global production of pepper fluctuates between 3-3.5 lakh tons tons, with a production of 3.25 lakh tons recorded in 2003.
Vietnam (85000 tons), Indonesia (67000 tons), India (65000 tons), Brazil (35000 tons), Malaysia (22000 tons), Sri Lanka (12750 tons), Thailand, China are the major producers of pepper in the World.
Vietnam's sudden increase in production has resulted in the global production, increasing to 3-3.5 lakh tons from 1.9-2 lakh tons in the late nineties. Vietnam is the world's largest producer and exporter of pepper in the world now.
The global exports of pepper are around 2-2.5 lakh tons, with 2.29 lakh tons being exported in 2003.
The major exporters of pepper are Vietnam (82000 tons), Indonesia (57000 tons), Brazil (37940 tons), Malaysia (18500 tons) and India (17200 tons).

Properties

Black pepper is scented, a stimulator, helps in digestion, an appetizer, is relishing, causes sweat and destroys worms. It causes excessive urine and is also beneficial to people suffering from gonorrhoea. Sage dhanwantari considered it to be the destroyer of all kinds of bacterias and viruses.

Uses

It is beneficial in many diseases. If taken in adequate quantity, a man never suffers from flatulation.
It helps in digesting the food of those people, who are accustomed to having rich food.
Using rice in the diet with kidney beans, neutralizes its power of causing the formation of excessive wind. It becomes cool and gives complete nourishment.
Ashtagun Mand (Rice water having eight qualities).If equal quantities of kidney beans and roasted rice are taken and the 14 times quantity of water is added to it and then asafoetida, rock salt, dry ginger, coriander, black pepper and leaves of fig (peepal) tree is added to it (all in powdered form) and cooked on a slow flame, it becomes very nourishing. This rice water cures fever increases blood, hunger and strength. It also removes the weakness because of fever.
The rice water, which remains after the rice, has been cooked, if this is taken while it is still warm mixed with honey cures thirst.
Rice water neutralizes the effort of the intoxication due to hemp (bhang).