Spices and Condiments

Harvesting and yield

• The spikes are ready for harvest when they start yellowing and in a spike 1 or 2 berries become red. At this stage, the spikes are removed from the vines.
  
• The spikes are kept as such for a day or so, thereafter the berries are removed by rubbing or scrubbing, and then dried in the sun.
  
• The spikes are sometimes dried directly in the sun for a few days on mats or on clean concrete floors.
  
• These are turned over, and later are removed when completely dry. The outer skin of the berries becomes dark brown to black and shrivels.
• In Kerala, where 90-95% of pepper is grown, the plants flower in May-June.
  
• The crop takes 6-8 months from flowering to harvest.
  
• The harvest season extends from November to January in the plains and January to March in the hills.
The yield varies widely in different pepper producing areas depending upon:

(i) elevation
(ii) temperature
(iii) distribution of rainfall
(iv) soil fertility
(v) cultural practices
(vi) type or variety and
(vii) age of the vine.

In India, the yield varies from 110 kg to 355 kg/ha.