VIJAYAWADA: BJP MP GVL Narasimha Rao, as the chairman of the national taskforce committee on chilli set up by the Spices Board of Union Ministry of Commerce, has written to Union Minister of State for Agriculture Parshottam Rupala seeking the intervention of the ministry, Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) and other such agencies in development of farm machinery for harvest and post harvest of chilli.
In the representation submitted on Friday, the MP explained that lack of suitable equipment was a serious limitation affecting the quality of chilli exports and making farmers suffer due to low prices owing to poor quality produce. GVL noted that there was a need to develop mechanised dryers, instead of drying the chilli in open making them susceptible to rains and contamination.