Chilli ryots riot when prices get tepid in Warangal

Chilli farmers in the state are an upset lot. After having seen remunerative prices for their produce after a long spell of drought, they are reacting violently to any fall in market prices.

The Warangal market yard, the second largest chilli (mirchi) market in the state after Guntur, witnessed violent scenes on Monday and Tuesday when the farmers ransacked the offices in the market yard premises and manhandled the traders on account of a sudden fall in the chilli prices.

Chilli prices, which touched a high of Rs 4,000 per quintal this season, have been showing signs of downward movement in the past one week.

Matters reached a head on Monday when traders bid for the produce between Rs 1,400 to Rs 1,800 per quintal citing reasons of low quality due to discolouring and high moisture content.

About 5,000 farmers who brought nearly 40,000 bags to sell at the Warangal market yard on Monday were upset over the fall in prices, and chased away the traders alleging cartelisation.

The prices offered by the traders were much lower compared to the minimum support price (MSP)of Rs 2,400 per quintal by the central government.

The district administration immediately intervened and forced the traders to hike the offer price by at least Rs 300 per quintal in an effort to pacify the farmers.

But as the traders failed to turn up to purchase the produce at the new rates either on Monday afternoon or on Tuesday morning, the situation continued to be tense with the farmers resorting to violence.

Finally, on Tuesday afternoon traders started purchases at the new rates.

The Warangal market yard declared a holiday tomorrow instead of today on account of extraordinary situation due to the farmers agitation.

Meanwhile, the state government has asked the Markfed officials to immediately open purchase counters at all the market yards and purchase chillies at MSP rates. Purchases by Markfed are expected to commence once the market yard at Warangal reopens on Thursday.

A similar situation prevailed in the Guntur chilli market on Monday with farmers agitating over the fall in prices.

Beside chilli farmers, the turmeric farmers at Nizamabad had attacked the office of the local market yard expressing angst over the sudden fall in turmeric prices.

Turmeric prices which were around Rs 2,800 per quintal suddenly crashed by about Rs 1,000 which led to the farmers' ire. Fearing trouble, traders have agreed to purchase turmeric at Rs 2,600 per quintal.