What makes premium black pepper (kali mirch) fetch a higher price than ordinary lots?

Premium black pepper is about berry size, bulk density, cleanliness and consistency. Bold, fully mature, heavy berries with high bulk density, well dried and cleaned of stalks and light berries, fetch the top rate. Garbled pepper that is sorted and cleaned sells above ungarbled. Special grades like the well known Tellicherry bold grade come from selecting the largest berries. To earn the premium, harvest at the right maturity when one or two berries on the spike turn colour, dry properly to a deep black wrinkled berry, then clean and grade out the light and broken berries. Pesticide residue and mould are deal breakers for export buyers, so follow safe spraying and good drying. In short, quality and grading, not just quantity, decide whether you get an ordinary or premium price.