WARANGAL: Prices of red chilli have shot up to record levels at Asia’s biggest agriculture market at Enumamula in Warangal. The premium ‘US341’ and tomato size red chilli variety is fetching Rs 18,000 to Rs 25,000 per quintal, the highest in recent years at the market.
Though harvesting of red chilli crop in Telangana is yet to begin in earnest, farmers are arriving at Enumamula agriculture market with their crop from across the erstwhile Warangal district, expecting to cash in on the demand.
Red chilli variety like ‘Teja’ is being sold at Rs 16,600 to Rs 18,800 per quintal, Wonder Hot (WH) at Rs 17,000 to Rs 22,500 per quintal, the 1048 variety is fetching Rs 16,000 to Rs 19,000 per quintal, the 344 variety Rs 15,000 to Rs 18,000 per quintal and the tomato size red chilli variety is being sold between Rs 22,000 and Rs 25,000 per quintal, a steep increase from the Rs 13,000 to Rs 16,000 per quintal during the same period last year.
Similarly, Number 341 variety is now being sold at Rs 25,000 per quintal. The Wonder Hot variety was sold at Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 during the same period last year.Till Friday, 5,000 bags of Teja variety of red chilli had arrived at the market, 800 bags of Wonder Hot and 3,000 bags of US341. The red chilli that is traded at the Enumamula market yard is mostly exported to Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and also abroad.
Speaking to the media, Enumamula agriculture market secretary BV Rahul stated that the price of red chilli is displayed on the notice board every day so that farmers can cross-check it with the price offered. Traders can check the dryness and quality of the crop and make an offer on the crop.
Speaking to Express, V Thirupathi, a farmer from the Mahabubabad district, said that he is quite happy with the price being offered for his crop. He said that he was hoping that the present prices would continue this season, but the prices would dip when the supply increases.