GUNTUR: The untimely rain has brought misery to chilli farmers who are already hit by the steep fall in the market prices. Sri Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao Market Yard has received record stocks of chillies after the announcement of `1,500 per quintal compensation by the State government and `6,250 MIP by the Centre. There is no space for additional chilli stocks in the market yard.
Even if the marketing officials are advising farmers to wait till the disposal of chilli stocks already arrived at the yard, farmers are bringing their produce as they are eager to sell it at the earliest in the wake of untimely rainfall in coastal districts.
Protecting the chilli produce kept in the open from rain has become a difficult task for them even if it was covered with tarpaulin due to damp weather conditions.
Piduguralla recorded the highest rainfall of 36.6 mm in the district on Tuesday night. Farmers are being advised to take the chilli produce to their nearest purchasing centre instead of bringing it all the way to Guntur. But farmers are coming to the Guntur market yard hoping to get a better price for their produce.
Market yard Chairman M Subba Rao said: “At present, the chilli stocks in the yard are four to five times more than its storage capacity. Traders have started clearing the purchased stocks from the yard. It is advisable for farmers to go to the nearest purchasing centre to sell their produce keeping in view the pre-monsoon rains in the State.”
Chilli farmer K Satyanarayana of Prathipadu said: “The untimely rain has compounded our woes. At present, the price for chillies is less than `2,500 per quintal. If our produce is damaged due to the untimely rain and damp weather conditions, we will incur further losses.”