During the period from 1992, the campaign had "conclusively" established the cause of the disease. "We have evolved a package of practices for the farmers to effectively combat the disease," said the IISR director. He said that the disease, caused by a fungus, has been the biggest challenge faced by pepper cultivators in the country in recent memory.

It was estimated that about 20 per cent of the pepper crop in the country was lost to quickwilt. However, results of the campaignagainst the disease are now showing. This is perceivable in the increased production in Kerala during this year. According to estimates made by the Directorate of Arecanut and Spices Development, Kozhikode, pepper production in the country will touch the one-lakh-tonne-mark this year.

Operations against quickwilt has been mainly carried out in Kerala. According to the IISR director, 86,000 hectares of pepper cultivation in Kerala has been treated for quickwilt. In Kerala, the operations have been carried out intensively in the major pepper-growing districts of Idukki, Kannur, Wayanad and Kozhikode, he said. About Rs 3,000 per hectare per year has been spent on pepper cultivation during the last five years to combat quickwilt, said Peter.

According to him this is justified because pepper will continue to be the most lucrative crop for the farmers in Kerala. Increasing demand for the condiment in the international market is the major reason. The qualities of pepper is being better appreciated now leading toa rise in demand. Combined with this is the reported shortage of pepper production in Indonesia and Malaysia this year. Pepper exports during the first half of this financial year stands at 18,000 tonnes worth Rs 349.58 crore. This was 23,701 tonnes worth Rs 282.27 crore during the previous financial year. Pepper contributes about 40 per cent of the total spices exports earnings for the country and justifies the attention it has been getting from both the central and state governments.

Some of the recent projects for pepper include the ambitious Pepper Technology Mission worth Rs 221 crore. Then there is a Rs 13-crore programme aimed at propagating high-yielding varieties of pepper vines. The programme aims at bringing 6,500 hectares under these new vines over a period of three years beginning 1998. About 1,000 hectares of new cultivation area is also expected to be created under this project. According to the programme, 98.75 lakh rooted vines will be distributed under the project.