Red cherry pepper (Dalle khursani): remunerative organic crop for doubling the farmers’ income of Sikkim

Abstract

Red cherry pepper (Capsicum annum var. cerasiforme) is one of the valuable cash crops of Sikkim. It is grown in almost every household in different cropping system, i.e. homestead cultivation, mono-cultivation and mixed cropping, etc. This chilli contains capsaicin which produces different pungency levels as well as carotenoids and phenolic compounds and is being used as natural pigment and antioxidant agents. However, the Scoville scale indicates that its pungency is very high and is in the range of 1,00,000–3,50,000 SHU. Fruit yield ranges from 80–150 q/ha with average productivity of 120 q/ha. The average net return of `10,25,000/ha results in very high benefit: cost (B:C) ratio of 6.8. Production efficiency and economic efficiency of red cherry pepper are recorded as 63.15 kg/ha/day and `5394.7/ha/day respectively.