| |
| Farmers had gone in for chilly crop even in paddy lands, and the rains experienced so far had been suitable for the crop, though not for paddy, he said. The crop yield last year was put at 60-70 per centm and this year it is likely to be 100 per cent.
|
| |
| Farmers are expected to reap over one crore quintals of crop. But not all the crop would arrive at the Guntur market yard. About 60 cold storage units, which had come up in and around the city, changed the dynamics of chillies marketing.
|
| |
| In the past, farmers would consider themselves very fortunate if they got Rs 3,000 per quintal. Those farmers who are able to afford the costs of storing the crop in the plants, can now bring the crop to the market during off-season also.
|
| |
| Last year, about 31 lakh quintals of chillies went into hibernation in the cold storage units, and later saw light in the market yard, fetching good profits for ryots. Now only 3-5 lakh quintals remain in cold storages.
|
| |
| Basing on whether the crop is stored in the cold storage or not, chillies are categorised into air-conditioned (A-C) and non-air-conditioned (non-A-C) varieties.
|
| |
| On December 2, for instance, 3,700 quintals of first grade A-C red chillies arrived at the market, and earned a maximum price of Rs 4,100 per quintal and a minimum price of Rs 3,500 per quintal, depending on further quality criteria.
|
| |
| Each of 3,400 quintals of second grade A-C red chillies, fetched the farmers a maximum of Rs 3,500 and a minimum of Rs 3,200.
|
| |
| Around 2,700 quintals of A-C white chillies, treated as substandard, brought the highest rate of Rs 3,000 per quintal and the lowest price of Rs 2,600.
|
| |
| About 2,800 quintals of the non-A-C chillies, which farmers brought to the market on December 2, were quoted at maximum Rs 3, 200 per quintal and a diappointing minimum rate of 2,500 per quintal.
|
| |
| With depletion of the crop, the proprietors of cold storage units also eagerly await the arrival of the fresh chillies crop. The market yard caters to the needs of thousands of farmers of Krishna, Guntur, Khammam and Prakasam districts.
|
| |
| The yard staff and officials are enthusiastically waiting for farmers and their chillies crop. When the season begins, every day would a day of stampede for them, they said. |
| |
|
| |
