Pepper prices stabilize in northern India due to the festive holidays
24-Oct-2025 01:44 PM
Kochi. Despite the continued upward and upward price trend, pepper trading initially was doing well, but later, the festive holidays weakened demand in northern India. Business in major consumption centers has been sluggish since Diwali.
According to trade analysts, buyers in northern India are still in a holiday mood, and pepper trading may pick up slightly later this week.
Despite limited trading, prices are not softening; instead, they are increasing by ₹100 per quintal on a daily basis. In Kochi's terminal market, the price of ungarbled pepper has improved to ₹69,300 per quintal, and the garbled variety has reached ₹71,300 per quintal.
This increase in prices is primarily due to strong demand from spice manufacturers, who are purchasing more pepper to meet their production needs.
According to the Indian Pepper and Spices Trade Association (IPSTA), some positive signals are emerging regarding tariff reductions from the United States, which are expected to revive Indian pepper exports.
This has created an atmosphere of enthusiasm in the market. However, on the other hand, significant imports of cheap pepper from the Latin American country of Brazil are underway, and the price of high-bulk-density goods in the Disawari markets is hovering around ₹750 per kg.
This is impacting the domestic pepper trade there. Demand for pepper produced in Tamil Nadu, Wayanad, and Coorg is weakening in the Disawari markets.
The price of pepper in Brazil is estimated to be $6,000 per ton, while the price of indigenous pepper in India is hovering around $8,000 per ton.
Based on a survey, the Department of Agriculture has reduced the domestic pepper production estimate for the 2025-26 season from 110,000 tons to 85,000 tons.
The activation of the North-East monsoon in South India has increased the worries of pepper growers as heavy rains accompanied by strong winds in many areas are likely to cause crop damage, which may further lead to a decline in pepper production.