According to Spices Board Chairman VJ Kurien, the
commerce ministry has no plans to give
export subsidy for pepper as of now.
Pepper prices have now almost doubled from a year ago and exports would be sustained without
any subsidy support, he said. Export
subsidy of Rs7 per kg was introduced in
October 2005 when pepper prices were ruling at a low of around Rs60 per kg. In 2006-07
(April- March) India exported 28,750
tonne pepper worth Rs3.06 bn compared
with 17,363 tonne for Rs1.50 bn a year
earlier.