RAMANATHAPURAM: The chilli harvest season has drawn to a close in Ramanathapuram, but farmers are grappling with the after-effects of unseasonal rainfall earlier in the year, which has led to significant crop damage and a decline of 20% to 50% in both domestic and international chilli exports.
Chillies, particularly the Samba and Mundu varieties, are the primary horticultural crops in the district, cultivated over approximately 15,000 hectares. However, untimely rains in December and March caused damage to over 11,000 hectares, impacting both yield and quality, according to officials from the agriculture marketing and Agribusiness department.
Farmers would harvest usually 300 kg to 350 kg of chilli per acre, but this year the average yield has dropped to 200 kg per acre.
"The rainfall has affected the quality of chillies, which in turn has brought down market prices," said an official. "Last year, chilli was priced around Rs 250 per kilo. This season, average rates have hovered between Rs 120 and Rs 200 per kilo depending on quality."
Despite the setback, farmers remain optimistic about future prospects. M Ramar, a traditional organic chilli farmer and exporter from Kamudhu block said, "Our organically cultivated Mundu and Samba chillies are in good demand internationally. Last year, we exported around 80 tonnes to the USA, Germany, and other countries. But this year, due to lower stock, we could only send about 50 tonnes."
Ramar added that with the harvest season just concluded, the next round of chilli cultivation is expected to begin in the Tamil month of Aadi (July), with harvesting likely by the end of the year. He expects export volumes to rise during the latter half of 2025.
Meanwhile, several farmers have urged the agriculture business department to set up government-run-air-conditioned storage facilities. Currently, many are forced to rely on private warehouses, which they say are expensive and not always suitable. Given the growing demand for Ramanathapuram chillies in the international market, farmers also called for the introduction of climate-resilient and pest-resistant chilli varieties to boost both quality and export potential.