RAMANATHAPURAM: Poor arrivals have caused prices of both Ramanathapuram Mundu and Samba varieties of chilli to skyrocket beyond 20,000 per quintal in the open market. Officials from the horticulture department attributed the reduced arrivals to a drop in the cultivation area and widespread pest infestation. Farmers have demanded that the Tamil Nadu government provide drought relief to compensate for crop losses.
Chilli is the largest cultivated horticultural crop in Ramanathapuram. This year, the crop has been raised on about 13,500 hectares. However, officials said the area under cultivation has dropped by over 1,500 hectares compared to the previous year, when more than 15,050 hectares were used for chilli cultivation. The decline has been attributed mainly to the spread of fungal diseases last year, which resulted in significant yield losses and discouraged farmers from continuing cultivation on the same scale.
With the harvest season beginning, chilli prices have surged nearly twofold compared to normal times. Speaking about open market prices, M. Ramar, a traditional chilli farmer and exporter from Ramanathapuram, said Mundu chilli, which usually sells at Rs 13,000 to Rs 20,000 per quintal, is now being traded at Rs 25,000 to Rs 36,000 per quintal. Samba chilli, normally priced between Rs 12,000 and Rs 15,000 per quintal, is currently fetching Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 per quintal.
According to the agriculture marketing department, prices in regulatory markets are also unusually high, ranging from Rs 220 per kg to Rs 360 per kg for Samba and Mundu chillies respectively, which is nearly double the usual rates. Farmers attributed the price rise to poor arrivals caused by pest attacks and drought conditions.
Senior horticulture officials acknowledged pest attacks, stating that preliminary reports indicate over 2,500 hectares of chilli crops were affected, with drought aggravating the damage. Fruit rot disease was also reported in some areas. Another farmer, M. Bakiyanathan, said only farmers with access to irrigation or the ability to buy water tankers could complete the season, while others suffered losses.