Panaji: The Bicholim Progressive Farmer Producer Company (FPC) has distributed 3,000 saplings of the high-yielding ‘IISR Chandra’ black pepper variety to farmers. The saplings were distributed to farmer-shareholders belonging to the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category.‘IISR Chandra’ is a superior, high-yielding black pepper variety developed by the ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR). The planting material was sourced from Kerala with facilitation from ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute (CCARI), Old Goa.Senior scientist at ICAR-CCARI, Shripad Bhat, said black pepper can be successfully cultivated as an intercrop on arecanut and coconut plantations, enabling farmers to earn additional income without requiring separate land.“Black pepper remains one of the most profitable plantation crops alongside arecanut. However, the crop is vulnerable to foot rot disease, which causes the loss of around 10% of pepper vines in Goa and other coastal regions. If foot rot is managed effectively, black pepper gives very good returns to farmers,” he told TOI.He further said that modern harvesting methods are also helping protect black pepper vines. Farmers can use carbon-fibre harvesting poles in arecanut plantations and ladders in coconut plantations, wherever feasible, to harvest the palms while minimising damage to the pepper vines.“Improved cultivation practices and disease management could encourage more farmers to take up the crop and improve their earnings,” he added.The distribution programme was attended by Bicholim FPC chairman Vishwambar Gawas, zonal agriculture officer, Sanquelim, Yashwant Gawas, agriculture officer Pankaj Pokle and FPC chief executive officer Nandish Gawas.
