SHILLONG: A pinch of black pepper added to almost every recipe enhances its flavour. Black pepper, an essential spice, comes from the pepper plant, a smooth woody vine.
Call it fortune that this popular spice is available throughout the year. However, the country is gradually losing its status as a leading producer and exporter of pepper, also known as ‘black gold’ following a decline in the production of this spice variety have dwindled.
Meghalaya, however, is looking to work in this sector with an aim to promote the cultivation and production of black pepper in the State.
Registrar of Cooperative Societies, BDR Tiwari informed that the Government, as a pilot project, is planning to promote black pepper cultivation in the State although at a small scale.
Tiwari said that so far black pepper was never grown in a large scale in Meghalaya.
Tiwari informed that as per the pilot project, pepper will be mainly grown at the International border with Bangladesh or in the interstate border with Assam with a possibility of it being cultivated in the Garo Hills region as well.
Black pepper cannot be grown in Khasi Hills owing to the topography of the region.
He also said that the State Government under its Green Mission and Integrated Basin Development and Livelihood Promotion Programme is also taking up a lot of plantation activities across the State for promoting livelihood. Chief Minister Mukul Sangma is taking special initiative to increase the green cover and work for the development of livelihood among the people of the State.
