Guntur: Badigi, Teja variety chillies fetch record price

Guntur: Special varieties of red chilli have been commanding good price due to increase in demand in both domestic and international markets. It may be recalled that pest attack damaged 90 per cent of crop during the last season.

Rumours are rife in the market that the pest attack is likely to continue during this season also. Taking the demand into consideration, exporters and red chilli traders are offering high price for special varieties of red chilli to make a fast buck in the days to come.

For instance, Badigi variety of red chilli is commanding Rs 25,500 per quintal, which was sold at Rs 23,000 two-months ago. Teja variety of red chilli price jumped to Rs 25,000 per quintal from Rs 23,000 per quintal, 334 variety of red chilli price jumped to Rs 24,500 per quintal from Rs 22,000 a few months ago. Similarly, 341 variety of red chilli price touched Rs 24,000 per quintal from Rs 21,000 per quintal.

Common varieties like 273 is sold at Rs 23,000 per quintal.

Almost all the varieties of red chilli are selling above Rs 20,000 per quintal. Even white colour chilli, which was damaged due to heavy rains during the last season, is also commanding Rs 10,000 per quintal.

According to official sources, at present the farmers had stocks of about 35 lakhs to 40 lakhs bags with them. Similarly, 40 lakh bags of red chilli stocks are in cold storage units in Guntur and Prakasam districts. Traders are expecting that if the same situation continues, prices of red chilli likely to go further up in the days to come.

Chilli farmer T Sambsiva Rao said, "More than 80 percent of farmers have already sold their red chilli stocks at lower price due to various reasons. After majority of the farmers sold their stocks, prices of red chilli were hiked for the benefit of traders. He said that they got yield of six to seven quintals per acre due to crop damage caused by heavy rains and pest attack. He lamented that they didn't got at least their investment.

An official of agriculture marketing department said that the traders are offering better price for special varieties like Badigi, Teja, Devanuru Deluxe, 273, 341 for exports.