Plummeting prices of Warangal’s Chapata chilli worries farmers
The State had registered a 36 per cent increase in the area under chilli crop this year. Nearly four lakh acres of area were brought under the chilli crop this season in the State.
Warangal: Chilli farmers are agitated with the price of Chapata chilli, which is unique to the erstwhile Warangal region and had earned a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, has come down by half this year.
Last year the prices of Chapata chilli had crossed Rs.90,000 per quintal. However, this year traders in the Enumamula market in Warangal are offering only between Rs.37,000 to Rs.40,000 per quintal causing huge loss to the farmers. Buoyant by the good price fetched last year, the chilli farmers had opted for a big shift to chilli from other crops, but the fall in prices by over 50 per cent of the price offered last year has disappointed the farmers.
The State had registered a 36 per cent increase in the area under chilli crop this year. Nearly four lakh acres of area were brought under the chilli crop this season in the State.
The Chapata variety, which is mostly grown in Narsampet, Mahabubabad and Bhupalpally areas, has great demand both in the domestic and the overseas market. In fact, after getting the GI tag, it is basking in glory and enjoying an ever-soaring demand in the domestic and global market. However, this year, the fall in its prices has disappointed the farmers. The farmers claimed that the traders had formed a cartel to trim the prices, taking advantage of farmers’ rush to sell their stocks.
The Chapata chilli is a small, deep red pepper that is grown only in the Warangal region. It is also known as Tomato Chapata Warangal chilli and its colour is quite vibrant. This chilli has a high demand in the domestic market, especially in States like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. It has an equally thriving global market, with major buyers being European countries and West Asian countries.
Even the immensely popular Teja variety of chillies which was offered at Rs.20,000 per quintal a few days ago, saw the prices falling to Rs.12,000 in the Warangal Enumamula market last week. However, marketyard officials claimed that prices of chillies depend on the quality and that the farmers were being offered prices as per the quality of the chillies. The officials said action would be taken against traders if they try to reduce the prices of good quality chillies.
Chilli farmers staged protests at the Enumamula market and Khammam Agriculture Market last week demanding an end to the exploitation by traders and demanding a remunerative price for their chilli produce. As per the price forecast made by the Agricultural Market Intelligence Centre, Prof Jayashankar Telangana State Agriculture University, chilli was expected to trade at around Rs.18,500-20,000 per quintal at the time of harvesting (from January to March 2024).
More than a lakh tonnes of chilli arrived in the yards by the last week of February and the arrival expected till the end of the season could be three times more. As per the wholesale price monthly analysis, chilli fetched Rs.18,000 per quintal in the State in January last, which was much less compared to Rs.24,800 per quintal in Odisha, Rs.23,110 in Uttar Pradesh, Rs.22,459 offered in Kerala and Rs.19,391 in Rajasthan.
