The multi-state Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (Campco) Ltd is likely to begin pepper purchases from farmers next month.
The co-operative had received approval to enter the pepper market in its 41st annual general meeting in August 2015.
Members had approved amendments of bye-laws to procure, process and sell pepper in that meeting. At present, Campco deals in the procurement, processing and sale of arecanut, cocoa and rubber.
Sources in Campco told
Of them, five centres will be in Dakshina Kannada, Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada districts and two in northern Kerala.
Plans are afoot to market pepper in packets of half kg and 1 kg to retail customers in the north Indian market, they said.