Black Pepper Prices Improve as Sabarimala Season Begins

14-Jan-2026 05:42 PM

Idukki. The Sabarimala season in South India is considered very important for the black pepper trade and price improvement. The Pongal festival has also begun there. The Sabarimala pilgrimage season is especially beneficial for black pepper producers in Idukki.

During this season, a large number of pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu visit the Sabarimala temple for darshan and prayers, and on their return, they buy black pepper in half-kilogram or one-kilogram packets. This large-scale purchase by pilgrims drives up the price of black pepper.

Currently, the price of black pepper in Idukki and surrounding areas is around Rs. 700 per kg, while on some routes, 500-gram packets are being sold at this high price. Local producers are making significant profits from this.

It is noteworthy that in the Kochi terminal market, the price of black pepper is Rs. 712 per kg for the garbled variety and Rs.

692 per kg for the ungarbled variety, while on the route to the Sabarimala temple in Idukki, Kerala, the price has surged to Rs. 1300-1400 per kg.

It is understood that due to climate change, the harvesting and processing of the new black pepper crop is delayed this year, and therefore, the strong demand during the Sabarimala season is allowing producers and dealers in major producing districts of Kerala like Idukki,

Pathanamthitta, and Kottayam to successfully sell their remaining stock of black pepper at very high retail prices. However, the overcast skies and lack of sunshine are preventing black pepper producers from drying their produce, forcing them to sell immature or unripe peppercorns.