VIRUDHUNAGAR/RAMANATHAPURAM: The state government's decision to create a 'Chilli Zone' comprising Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar, Sivagangai and Thoothukudi districts, and increase the total area of chilli crop cultivation to 40,000 hectares in the next five years, has gone down extremely well within the farming community. The scheme announced in the agriculture budget tabled on Tuesday by minister MRK Paneerselvam, aims to use the latest tech advancements to enhance productivity, create necessary infrastructure and provide other cultivation assistance to chilli farmers.
Since chilli cultivation is already a money-spinning venture, farmers feel the extra focus from the government would go a long way in bolstering their livelihoods. They have urged the government to initially address pest invasion and promote organic cultivation. In a joint effort of rural development and agricultural engineering departments, it has been planned to uproot invasive Prosopis juliflora trees on around 1,000 hectares and bring the area under chilli cultivation. The scheme with an outlay of Rs 6 crore this financial year, aims to provide seeds, seedlings and other inputs to farmers, and establish solar driers and units to produce chilli powder, chilli paste, chilli flakes and chilli oil.
In Ramanathapuram district, Samba Chilli and Mundu Chilli are cultivated on about 14,000 hectares, while Samba Chilli (vathal) is cultivated on around 1,500 hectares in about four to five belts in Virudhunagar district. R Anandakumar (42), a farmer from Seeniyapuram in Virudhunagar district said he earns a profit of around Rs 2 lakh from one hectare of vathal cultivation. "The chilli cultivation and harvesting process is comparatively easy. Each kg of vathal fetches around Rs 220 at the market," he said.
According to Department of Horticulture Deputy Director Radhakrishnan, though chilli was grown extensively in Virudhunagar district previously, the shortage of farmhands forced farmers to turn to maize cultivation over the years. "The scene has again reversed in the last two years as the chilli demand and price surged. In this situation, the new scheme will increase the land under cultivation and dissuade farmers from using chemical fertilizers," the official added.
While welcoming the budget announcement, Tamil Vivasayigal Sangam president O A Narayanasamy said it would be of great help if the government also took steps to procure the chilli produce directly from the farmers. This would negate the role of middlemen and ensure higher profits for farmers, he added.
Chilli from Ramanathapuram is in high demand in domestic and international markets. V Ramar, an organic farmer from the district, said, "I export both Samba and Mundi chilli abroad. At present, the Samba variety takes the lion's share of exports in the district. With the Mundu chilli all set to be conferred the GI tag, offshore markets have begun to show more interest in this crop. So, in the backdrop of all this, the 'Chilli Zone' scheme will benefit us to a great extent. Also, our long-pending demand of setting up storage facilities has been addressed in this budget."
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Vaigai Irrigation Farmers Association president M S K Bakkianathan urged the government to take immediate steps to address the irrigation woes of farmers and thus help the acreage of chilli cultivation in Ramanathapuram district again breach 30,000 hectares.
Direct procurement needed, says association
Tamil Vivasayigal Sangam president O A Narayanasamy said it would be of great help if the government also took steps to procure the chilli produce directly from the farmers. This would negate the role of middlemen and ensure higher profits for farmers, he added.