BALLARI: Chilli cultivation, largely believed to be a profitable venture for farmers in drier regions, has turned out to be a dire exercise for them this year. The farmers, who are battling drought, disease and fall in prices, while struggling to sell their produce, are now hoping for a government bailout.
Allalli Veeresh, a farmer from Devasamudra in Kampli taluk, about 45 km from Ballari city, has two-hectares of land, where he grew chilli. The harvest was considered a bumper crop, like last year, and Veeresh, who had invested about Rs 50,000 per acre, was expecting a return of at least Rs 1.5 lakh per acre. The crash in prices has left him worried. His family is now looking for other means of income.
Jambunath, another farmer from the same village, also rues the fall in chilli prices. “I cannot sell the produce, because the price is not even half of what I invested,” said Jambunath, who grew chilli in three acres.
The story appears to be similar with almost all chilli growers in the district. In Kampli, though it is not the biggest area under chilli cultivation, the farmers, say, “The price has left the crop more pungent than it actually tastes.”
A farmer normally harvests 12-15 quintals. They harvested an average of 16 quintals in Ballari in 2017. But this year, most of them invested more in cultivation, but the produce has been 10-12 quintals.
To make matters worse, farmers spent more on cultivation this year, compared to the previous year. “Last year, we spent Rs 50,000 per acre and earned up to Rs 15,000 per quintal. This year’s expenditure has crossed Rs 90,000 and the price offered is Rs 8,000-10,000 per quintal,” said Veeresh, talking about the Byadgi variety of chilli. “For the Guntur variety, it is even worse. Last year, the production was over 15 quintals per acre and the price offered was Rs 10,000-11,000, but this year, it does not have much demand and the price we are getting is Rs 7,000-8,000,” he added.
The reasons for this sudden crash in price, include drought, change in weather conditions, plant diseases and the cold market response. “Whatever may be the crop, it is not the quantity of rain, but timely rainfall, which increases the yield. In our district, the rainfall was good initially, but then there was nothing in the crucial time of August, September and October, when the crop is grown and harvested,” Jambunath explained.
Diseases like ‘leaf wilt’ and ‘powdered mildew’ have led to destruction of the crop. “There has also been no rainfall, and farmers were dependent heavily on canal water,” said Karthik Jeer, president, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Ballari district.
The fall in price, according to farmers, is also due to the ban on export of chilli. “There is a glut of chilli in the market, because there is a ban on export,” said Veeresh. “We need a support price for chilli,” he added.
