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Kothagudem Chilli growers in tears over falling yield, prices
Encouraged by last year’s unprecedented demand for red chillies, farmers of Kothagudem district raised the crop in over 30,000 acres hoping to sell the crop between Rs 12,000 and Rs 14,000 a quintal, the price that prevailed last year. However, shattering their dreams, the prices plummeted to Rs 7,000 and Rs 8,000 a quintal this year.
Kothagudem: Encouraged by last year’s unprecedented demand for red chillies, farmers of Kothagudem district raised the crop in over 30,000 acres hoping to sell the crop between Rs 12,000 and Rs 14,000 a quintal, the price that prevailed last year. However, shattering their dreams, the prices plummeted to Rs 7,000 and Rs 8,000 a quintal this year.
Delay on part of the state government to open chilli procurement centres, piling up of harvested crop at homes and pressure from money lenders are leaving the farmers with only option to sell the produce to middlemen, who are wasting no time to exploit the hapless farmers.
Usually to purchase crops from farmers, traders should apply for licence by paying requisite fee to the State government. However, the traders are buying the crop from farmers at their will and exporting it to the markets in Pune, Mumbai, Nanded and Kolkata.
Much to the disappointment of farmers, the crop yield did not exceed between 12 and 16 quintals an acre owing to prevailing atmospheric conditions. The farmers usually invest not less than Rs 60,000 an acre to raise the crop. Moreover, they use the services of agricultural labourers from Odisha and Chhattisgarh paying high wages due to shortage of workers at home.
Stating that he would not be able to recover even the input costs at the prevailing market prices, a farmer from the district, Ramaiah, told The Hans India that it appears they invited trouble by choosing to cultivate red chillies. “With the discouraging yield and falling market prices, we are not in a position to clear debts. We appeal to the state government to bail us out from this crisis,” he said.
Another farmer, P Pullarao of Julurupadu, said he had spent Rs 1 lakh an acre and harvested less than 15 quintals an acre, which is not remunerative. Rythu Sangham district vice-president Ch Rajeswara Rao appealed to the state government to establish purchase centres in all mandals to help the farmers.
Meanwhile, Bhadradri-Kothagudem Market Committee secretary Nirmala complained that no chilli trader was coming forward to lift the commodity from the farmers. Compared to last year, prices of red chillies came down drastically.
Meetings held with traders to appeal to them to come forward to lift the crop proved unproductive since no trader worth the name took initiative to lift the crop. The farmers of the district are selling the crop in Khammam district.
