The Hindu Business Line : AP Chilli farmers block traffic, serve notice

CHILLI farmers led by the Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangham, affiliated to the CPI, blocked traffic in front of the chilli market yard here for more than an hour on Friday, demanding that the State Government announce a market intervention scheme for the crop.

Elsewhere in the district too, at the Sattenapalli market yard, farmers staged a demonstration and blocked traffic under the leadership of the Telugu Desam.

Chilli prices have slumped to Rs 2,000 per quintal and below in the market yard here this month.

Farmers want the State Marketing Federation (Markfed) to enter the market and buy chilli at Rs 3,000 to push up prices.

Mr K. Nageswara Rao, Rythu Sangham leader, said on Friday that the State Government was indifferent to the plight of chilli farmers and that repeated demands for market intervention had gone unheeded.

"If the State Government does not respond positively to the demand by Monday, we will intensify the agitation and give a call for bandh," he said.

Trade sources here said the good crop in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh this season have led to a sharp fall in the number of orders from Rajasthan, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala. The export prospects are also not encouraging, resulting in a steep fall in prices.

The arrivals at the Guntur yard this week have been good, in the range of 60,000-70,000 bags (each weighing 40 kg).

Even the price of the famous Guntur Sannalu variety has not touched the Rs 3,000-per quintal mark.

The prices of different varieties have been down by at least Rs 1,000 less a quintal than those last year. The average price has been hovering around Rs 2,000 a quintal or a little more.

Last year, the State Government undertook market intervention and the State Markfed bought 5 lakh bags of chilli at Rs 2,700 a quintal. Markfed, however, could not liquidate the stocks. The State Government is not too keen on taking up market intervention again.

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AP Chilli farmers block traffic, serve notice