Reported by Manoj Kumar Ojha
Doomdooma: Small tea growers in Assam’s Tinsukia district are increasingly turning to black pepper cultivation alongside areca nut and tea farming in an effort to diversify income and improve land productivity.
In areas such as Baghjan, Sadiya and Daisajan, farmers have begun growing black pepper vines on areca nut trees while continuing tea cultivation below, creating a multi-layered farming system suited to the region’s climate.
Farmers said the tall betel nut trees provide favourable support and partial shade for pepper vines, while tea bushes continue to grow beneath them with little disruption.
“We never imagined pepper would grow so well alongside our betel nuts and tea. It feels like nature’s bonus from the same plot,” said Arjun Baruah, a small tea grower from Baghjan.
Growers said the crop requires comparatively low investment and limited additional labour, making it an attractive option for small farmers.
Freshly harvested pepper is already finding buyers in local weekly markets, with cultivators hopeful of expanding to larger commercial markets in the future.
“The soil and rainfall here suit the crop well. With proper grading and packaging, our pepper can reach bigger markets,” said Ashwini Phukan of Sadiya.
Farmers, however, said institutional support would be necessary to scale up production. They called for access to quality seedlings, technical training and stronger market linkages.
“If the government provides quality seedlings, training and market support, this can become a major source of additional income for growers,” said Amar Das of Daisajan.
Agriculture experts said black pepper performs well as an intercrop in Assam’s humid conditions and can help farmers reduce dependence on tea alone amid fluctuations in tea prices.
They added that better extension services, credit support and post-harvest infrastructure could help strengthen the emerging cultivation model in upper Assam.