Guntur: Coronavirus pulls down red chilli price in State

Guntur: Price of red chilli has been falling for the last few weeks in the Asia's biggest Mirchi Yard here due to decline in exports to China following the outbreak of coronavirus in the country.

Teja variety two weeks ago was sold at Rs.20,000 a quintal but is now fetching Rs 17,500.

Badigi chilli variety price has also fallen to Rs 14,500 from Rs 19,000 a quintal. Similarly. At present, DD variety is selling at Rs 14,500 which was previously sold at Rs 18,500 a quintal.

Similarly, prices 334, No. 5, 273, and 341 varieties have fallen to |Rs 14,000 a quintal from Rs 18,000 a quintal. If the same situation continues, price of chilli is expected to fall further due to increase in new arrivals into the market yard across the State. When the price of chilli has been falling, the farmers are incurring heavy losses.

According to Agriculture Market Yard officials, due to outbreak of coronavirus, the traders in China are not placing orders for chilli produce like earlier. When the exporters are not getting the orders, demand for chillis has fallen in the domestic market. The traders are offering lower price for chilli in the open market, saying that unless coronavirus is controlled, there is no chance of chilli commanding good price.

Farmers who kept their chilli stocks in cold storage units and waiting for better price are also disappointed due to falling of price.

A chilli farmer, P Surya Rao said he would wait till they get better price. It will take some more time. If the produce is sold at lower price, farmers would suffer loss, he said.

Agriculture Market Department official B Bhaskara Rao said, "Chilli arrivals have increased. Due to increase of supply, there is no chance of chilli commanding good price immediately. The farmers would have to wait some more times to get a better price."

KVP seeks price support, more storage for AP, TS chilli farmers 

The novel coronavirus (nCov2019) outbreak in China has adversely impacted prices of chillies in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, said K V P Ramachandra Rao in Rajya Sabha.

Raising the issue in the House on Thursday, Rao said that coronavirus is adversely affecting farmers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

He stated that Guntur in Andhra Pradesh is the biggest export market with 5,000 tonne of Tejas variety of chilli of which 60 per cent is imported by China annually. "China has suspended chilli imports, so the chilli farmers are badly hit and prices are going down. Due to slump in Tejas chilli exports, prices of other chilli varieties are also falling. Farmers are resorting to distress selling," Rao added.

The Congress leader also urged the government to see that remunerative prices are ensured for chilli farmers and to the extent possible that Food Corporation of India (FCI) provides storage facility under refrigeration, safekeeping till situation improves.

Responding to the point, Rajya Sabha Chairperson M Venkaiah Naidu, asked Rao to check the facts about coronavirus affecting the prices. (IANS)