Mirchi auctions, purchases go on despite stir

The ongoing Opposition-led agitation has failed to obstruct mirchi yard auctions or mirchi purchases by the Andhra Pradesh Marketing Federation (Markfed) in Guntur, according to A Venkatesulu, Markfed general manager, and A Sivaramaiah, yard special grade secretary.

Venkatesulu said that Markfed had so far purchased 23,521 quintals of mirchi of fair average quality (FAQ) from 19,847 farmers at Guntur, Khammam and Warangal market yards. The federation paid Rs 5.27 crore to farmers at the rate of Rs. 2,300 per quintal.

He said, "Markfed has lifted 17,462.95 quintals of mirchi from 19,070 farmers, paying them Rs 4.01 crore at the Guntur yard. The farmers belong to 16 mandals of Guntur, and to Prakasam, Nellore and Kurnool districts. And 123 farmers have sold 1,122 quintals of mirchi to the government agency at the Khammam yard, earning Rs 0.3 crore. Farmers numbering 654 have sold 4,917 quintals of mirchi to Markfed and received Rs 1.23 crore at the Warangal yard."

He said that mirchi crop brought by farmers of dryland areas had been rejected as it was found to be sub-standard, discoloured, shrunk, damaged and fungus ridden. Large quantities of mirchi harvested in irrigated land met FAQ standards, hence was purchased.

Yard special grade secretary A Sivaramaiah said 1,92,337 quintal of red mirchi and 32,051 quintal of white mirchi had been auctioned in April. And 8,416 quintals of red mirchi and 443 quintal of white mirchi arrived at the yard on April 27. While red mirchi fetched Rs 1,100-1,800 per quintal for farmers, they earned Rs 250 to Rs 600 per quintal of white mirchi.

He said, "There is no scope for 380 registered traders, who are participating in the auctions at Guntur, to form a syndicate and exploit farmers. The normal harvest in the region is 1.50 crore bags. During January-March 2004, farmers increased the acreage substantially, reaped 2.5 crore bags and yet earned a remunerative price of an average Rs. 2,700 per quintal. During January-March of 2005, they reduced the acreage, but reaped an average of 25-35 quintals per acre as against the normal yield of 15-20 quintals, which means the crop size has again almost doubled this year."

Most of the farmers, he said, had become shrewd and stored super quality middle picking crop in the cold storages and brought to the yard substandard first and the last picking crop.

He said, "Mirchi season normally ends in Karnatakka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra by December. But this year farmers of those States have collected bumper mirchi crop of high-yielding 'badiga' variety. Auctions are still going on in those States. In the melee, they have earned Rs. 1,200-1,800 per quintal only for the best quality crop. Moreover, as Andhra crop contained excess percentage of residues of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, exporters are averse to purchase the crop."