Hyderabad: Malakpet market abuzz with red chilli farmers

Last year they were sold at Rs 14,000 per quintal but now they are being sold anywhere between Rs 18,000 to Rs 20,000

Hyderabad: It is that time of the year when the agriculture market at Malakpet is flooded with red chillies arriving from different regions of Telangana. The market is abuzz with traders and farmers flocking the place in large numbers to trade red chillies.

And, with prices shooting up by 25 per cent to 30 per cent this year, the chilli produce has brought smiles to the faces of farmers. Last year the red chillies were sold at Rs 14,000 per quintal but now, they are being sold at anywhere between Rs 18,000 to Rs 20,000 per quintal.

“The price hike is mainly because of a drop in the yield due to pest attacks and incessant rains in several parts of Telangana,” says M Damodar, Selection Grade Secretary at the Malakpet market. However, he says, the price of the commodity may experience ups and downs in the coming days depending on the demand and supply of chillies in the market.

The chilies arriving here are from Mahabubnagar, Gadwal, Nagarkurnool, Khammam, Alampur, and other areas of Telangana apart from Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh.

“Every day, around 9,000 bags of dried chillies are arriving at the market, and all varieties are being sold for good prices. The Super 10 variety of chilli had fetched Rs 23,000 and the Badiga variety fetched Rs 30,000,” said Ravinder Reddy, Grade 3 Secretary at the agriculture market.

According to the eNAM website, the live price of the red chillies on February 15 in Hyderabad was Rs 18,500 per quintal.

Damodar said there is a great demand for Teja variety chilli because of its usage as a spice in pickles and homemade cooking. “All varieties of chillies, including Teja, were traded above Rs 20,000 from November to January 20, but the prices dropped a little after January as traders flooded the market with chilies stored in cold storages,” he says.