Black Pepper

Water

Rain is enough, even in a dry year.

Needs about 1,620 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 3,340 mm it can use in a normal year, and 2,830 mm in a dry year.

Heavy rain here can waterlog it. Grow it on raised beds or land that drains well.

Temperature

Grows best at 22–35 °C on average, and survives 10–40 °C.

Here, in its growing months (day / night):

• Jun 30 °C / 24 °C
• Jul 29 °C / 23 °C
• Aug 29 °C / 24 °C
• Sep 30 °C / 23 °C
• Oct 31 °C / 23 °C
• Nov 32 °C / 22 °C
• Dec 32 °C / 21 °C
• Jan 32 °C / 20 °C
• Feb 33 °C / 21 °C
• Mar 34 °C / 23 °C
• Apr 35 °C / 25 °C
• May 34 °C / 25 °C
• Jun 30 °C / 24 °C

Soil

Soil for Black Pepper: 7 out of 10 (okay).

Not in the score: pH.

• Many fields here are short of potassium, which it needs a lot.
• Many fields here are short of sulphur, which it needs a lot.
• Most fields here are short of nitrogen.

Likes pH 6.0–7.0. We have no pH figures for this place.

Money

Yield: about 1.9 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).

A new planting gives its first real harvest after about 3 years. The money here is for plants already bearing.

Mandi price at last season's harvest (December 2025–March 2026): about ₹50,000 a quintal at mandis in your district.

This week: about ₹40,000 a quintal, the middle of 17 mandis in your state (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹11,000 a year after typical costs.

Prices are usually best in January.

Typical costs are about ₹65,000 an acre: about half of what a usual harvest earns (2024–2026), as in farm cost surveys. They are spent whatever the harvest.