Pepper growers in Karnataka, India, watched many of their vines perish after months of heavy rainfall pounded the country's biggest pepper producer.
What happened?
As The Hindu reported, last year's harvest in Karnataka yielded 47,891 tonnes (52,791 tons), a 44% collapse from the prior year's 86,000 tonnes (94,799 tons).
Growers anticipate equal or greater losses when they gather this season's crop, starting in February 2026.
Rain lasting from May into mid-November created the crisis. Typical monsoon weather includes dry breaks with sunny days, but this year brought continuous downpours.
Some operations saw nearly two-thirds of the typical yearly precipitation fall within just three weeks during July.
"Due to a long spell of rain, lack of sunlight and low temperature, fruiting spikes didn't set well resulting in small berries," said Bose Mandanna, who grows coffee and pepper in Kodagu. "Overall, we are disappointed and are expecting a poor crop this year."
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Nonstop wetness allowed plant diseases to flourish and attack vulnerable vines. Standing water around roots for even a few hours kills the plants entirely. Numerous growers lost all their vines.
Why are pepper crop failures concerning?
Growers are taking a financial beating on two fronts. Destroyed crops mean they will earn one-fifth to one-third less than normal. The plants that survive produce undersized, inferior berries that bring lower prices.
The state cultivates pepper across 211,497 hectares, mainly alongside coffee plants. When vines perish, the economic backbone of farming communities crumbles. These rural areas count on selling multiple crops annually.
You'll likely notice changes when you shop for spices. India grows pepper for global markets, and consecutive harvest failures push up costs for anyone who seasons their cooking with this kitchen staple.
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Saving money 💰 Our warming world drives these problems. Weather shifts bring torrential rains compressed into short bursts rather than the reliable, spread-out monsoons farmers need. Crops bred for traditional growing seasons can't survive the waterlogged soil and constant moisture, making them easy targets for deadly diseases.
What can I do to support climate-resilient farming?
It's important to support local farmers who are dealing with wild weather swings. Meanwhile, governments and agricultural organizations need to help growers test new methods and crops to account for unpredictable conditions.
If you garden at home, work on better drainage and select varieties that tolerate both flooding and temperature extremes. The same adaptation tactics that work in backyard plots can scale up to help commercial operations.
Reach out to your elected officials about backing agricultural science programs focused on crops that can handle our changing world.
Pepper plants that resist disease and tolerate extreme wet conditions could mean survival for farming communities facing future climate chaos.
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