A GUIDE TO PEPPER PRODUCTION IN ZIMBABWE

The common name for pepper which includes both sweet and hot peppers are capsicum, cayene, paprika, red pepper and sweet pepper. Pepper belongs to the genus Capsicum with a variety of species. Bell peppers, and many hot peppers, are native to Central and North America. Pepper is grown as an annual but sometimes as a short perennial.

Peppers are frost sensitive and grow well in warm climates with a long growing season.  Some cultivars of pepper can survive fairly high temperatures e.g. the more pungent, the higher the temperature that can be withstood. During winter most pepper production is done under greenhouses.  Peppers grow best in light, fertile, well-drained soils but with proper soil management they can be grown successfully in a wide range of soil types.

Capsicum fruits are consumed in fresh dried or processed form. Sweet pepper is usually eaten raw in salads, but more commonly cooked, fried or processed together with other foods.100g edible portion contains 86g water, 202 kj energy (48 kcal), 2.0g protein, 0.8g fat, 10.3 carbohydrates, 2.6g fiber, 29mg calcium, 6.1mg phosphorus, 2.6 mg iron, 180µg beta carotene (red mature fruits 2.76µg), 0.12 thiamin, 0.15mg riboflavin, 2.2mg niacin and 140mg ascorbic acid (Leung et al., 1968)