Pepper country pins hopes on VIP Rahul Gandhi
(The Times of India)

Today, the spice has spawned distress and suicide. Prices of pepper have crashed to Rs 300 a kg from Rs 750 a kg in 2015-16. The rates are back to what they were in 1995-97. Besides low prices, farmers have had to contend with cheaper imports, diseases like quick wilt, and climatic changes which have taken a toll on the output