Drop in chilli prices makes farmers in Telangana restive

The districts of Warangal and Khammam, largest producers of red chilli in the State witnessed a sharp decline in the price.

Hyderabad: Chilli farmers have been getting restive all over the State following a significant drop in the price in the markets. The year started for them on a sluggish note. As the arrivals started picking up, the demand has come down. The downward trend, which started in December, further aggravated in the first week of January.

The districts of Warangal and Khammam, largest producers of red chilli in the State witnessed a sharp decline in the price. The drop was ranging from Rs 2000 to Rs 4000 per quintal for the premium varieties such as Teja. What the farmers were more worried about was the traders’ attitude.

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Any day, the purchases start off on happy note with the traders offering price as expected for the record sake. But the second session of purchases are leaving the farmers disappointed. The price offered would be far less on the pretext that moisture levels are high in the stocks that arrived in the markets.

The overall drop in the chilli prices in the State for the premium varieties is ranging from 16 to 25 per cent during the last two months. The price could be further down by another two to five percent before it stabilizes, according to officials.

They said the second picking of chilli which would yield best quality would commence towards the end of January or the first week of February. The farmer would stand to gain with the second picking harvest.

The chilli export market is also not so encouraging this year. In addition to this, the crop in the State, especially in Warangal and Bhadrachalam areas, had pest attacks impacting the quality.

36 per cent hike in crop area

Egged on by the good price the chilli farmers fetched last year, they opted for a big shift to chilli from other crops including paddy. The State has registered a 36 per cent increase in the area under chilli crop this year. Despite the odds, the prices may prevail in the range of Rs 20000 per quintal to Rs 18000, Marketing Department officials said.

The government is trying to provide storage facility to the needy farmers. They can stock up their produce in the cold storages and avail assistance from the marketing agencies, said a senior officer from the marketing department.