THOOTHUKUDI: Whilst dryland farmers in the district are complaining of poor monsoon rainfall hampering crop output, chilli farmers from Vilathikulam and Pudur regions said that high-humidity conditions have negatively affected the yield. Despite chilli fetching appreciable remuneration this year, farmers could not make profits due to the poor yield.
Chilli is cultivated in over 13,500 hectares in the rain-fed tracts of Vilathikulam and Pudur blocks, where farmers cultivate "mundu vathal", renowned for its spiciness and flavour. Typically, after harvesting, farmers dry the chilli for a few days before selling it.
However, the humid weather conditions this year had an adverse effect on the crop, especially affecting plants in the flowering stage, thus resulting in flower abscission and a significant drop in the yield. Pudur Vattara Vivasaya Sangam secretary D Ramprasad said, "Mist engulfs the region during early mornings, which is immediately followed by hot sun. This drastic shift in climatic conditions weakens the flower-bearing pedicel, and the flowers fall off the plants before they bear chilli." He called it a dual setback as the chilli farmers had to face an acute rainfall shortage in the beginning of the cultivation cycle, followed by high-humidity conditions affecting the fruit-bearing stage.
The chilli plants, raised in November, reach the harvest stage by mid-January, and the farmers harvest a plant three to four times, with the gap of a fortnight between each harvest. Some of the farmers said the yield has reduced by two-thirds in volume this monsoon. "Farmers harvest at least three quintals per acre typically, which has sharply declined to one quintal this year," said a farmer.
Ramprasad said the price of chilli has shot up to Rs 30,000 per quintal this year, compared to Rs 8,000 in the previous season, but we do not have an adequate yield to make a profit.
When asked, a senior horticulture department official said that climate change and a shift in raining patterns are affecting the cultivation in a myriad of ways. "It is a challenging season. However, while the high-humidity conditions are detrimental for chilli, the climate was suitable for other crops that suffered from rainfall shortage," he said.