Badiga chillies of Guntur in Andhra Pradesh have become the most sought-after variety in the state this season. This variety has greater demand in the global market, particularly in countries like Malaysia and Singapore.
With the demand increasing in the international market, the price had gone up from the initial Rs 8,000 a quintal in June to a little over Rs 12,000. On Monday, it fetched Rs 12,400 a quintal, which is the highest in the season.
Red chillies are mostly from the red soils of Karnataka and has greater demand in the global market. However, farmers from Guntur cultivate the same variety in the black soils here protecting the quality of the produce. This variety is known for its less spice and bright colour.
Though China and Pakistan too produce chillies along with India, the rains have damaged the crop in these two countries, making the global traders to bank on Indian supply. In India too, the crop was damaged in Karnataka, which had come as a blessing in disguise for the farmers of Guntur and the neighbouring districts.
The Guntur’s Agriculture Market Committee (AMC) yard is now buzzing with traders and farmers pushing the variety out of cold storages. The arrivals at the Guntur AMC’s Market Yard during 2010-11 from April to July was 10,94,939 quintals while this year it 9,34,191 quintals during the period.
With the prices going up, farmers are expected to bring more quantity to the market yard in the next couple of days, said a senior official at the AMC.
