Mirchi exports to US, EU, Japan & Canada up 148%

Mirchi exports to the US, the EU, Japan and Canada between April and August in the current fiscal has witnessed a 148 per cent increase at 60,250 tonnes valued at Rs 221.87 crore, as compared to 24,250 tonnes worth Rs 106.70 crore in the corresponding period last fiscal. Close to 90 per cent of these exports were from Andhra Pradesh.

The total exports of spices, spice oils, oleoresins, pastes and powders during the period under consideration were 1,52,750 tonnes valued at Rs 920.21 crore.

"This was despite the fact that the European Union (EU) countries continue to reject a number of our export-oriented consignments of mirchi containing pesticide residue and toxins like afflotoxin over and above the permissible levels," B M Jayaram, assistant director (development) of Spices Board of India, told Business Standard.

Jayaram said that the farmers, apart from sticking to excess use of pesticides, which are banned in Europe but not banned in India, do not properly dry up the mirchi crop after harvesting it.

"Consequently, the crop retains moisture, which stimulates development of microorganisms in it. These microbes secrete carcinogenic toxins," he added.

"Despite these setbacks, our mirchi exports to the US, EU, Japan and Canada between April and August in the current fiscal have seen a big spurt. Turmeric exports touched 20,000 tonnes worth Rs 75.24 crore (an increase of 108 per cent). Andhra Pradesh stood third after Kerala and Tamil Nadu in turmeric exports," he said.

He said that during the last fiscal's corresponding period, the turmeric exports touched 12,250 tonnes valued at Rs 45.08 crore.

"The Spice Board is implementing an integrated pest management (IPM) programme in Guntur and Prakasam districts with the help of three non-governmental organisations (NGOs} and a farmers' association. The objective is to produce world-class spices, particularly mirchi. Under this programme, the board is educating farmers and traders on modern and hygienic drying up and packing practices. The NGOs "� Assist, Effort and Nilgiri Education Society, and Ravela Farmers' Welfare Association are helping the board and its employees in implementing the project," Jayaram said.

He said that the IPM programme has so far covered 1,050 hectares in 23 villages this year. "Farmers, who sprayed 30-35 rounds of pesticides in the past, now have curtailed spraying to 15 rounds. They are going for biopesticides, border crops, trap crops, pheromone traps and biological pest control agents (Bacillus thuringiensis and NPV virus)," he said.

Jayaram said that the board has also extended various subsidies to farmers under the IPM programme.

"The board has given a 90 per cent subsidy to ST farmers for constructing concrete platforms, 50 per cent subsidy to group farmers and 25 per cent subsidy (Rs 125 per square metre) for individual farmers. We have also extended a subsidy of Rs 1,000 for setting up a one tonne-capacity vermicompost unit and 33.3 per cent subsidy for purchasing tarpaulins," he said.

"These subsidies will enable the farmers to produce hygienic and perfectly dry mirchi crop free of pesticide residue," he added.

He said that the biological pest control agents would not allow growth of caterpillar larvae, which eat away the chilly pods. In case of other pests, they first attack border crops like jowar and lay eggs on attractive marigold flowers and castor leaves (trap crops).

Farmers would chop off those pest-filled flowers and leaves and throw them away. In a pheromone trap, the smell of a chemical vial, placed inside the trap, attracts the male moths and kills them, he explained.