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The green chillies market in Maharashtra is witnessing a bullish trend with farmers getting at least 40 per cent higher rates over last year.
However, the real moolah is being made by those who have red varieties, which are processed and used for making masalas and other mixed spices. In red varieties, the rally in prices is over 75 per cent.
Crop loss
The chilli crop has been badly affected due to incessant rains with 40 per cent of crop loss across Maharashtra. In many places, farmers had to uproot the cash crop and throw away the plants owing to various pests and diseases attacks.
Agriculture expert from Kolhapur, Raosaheb Pujari, said that prices of red chillies are on the rise with Sankeshwari variety fetching ₹210 per kg as against last year’s ₹150. The price of Byadagi variety — which is cultivated in both Kolhapur and Karnataka — has shot up to ₹350/kg from last year’s ₹200. Even the desi variety has increased by ₹35 to reach ₹200 per kg, he said.
Acreage down
Pujari pointed out that although the chillies are getting good rate over the years, the area under the sethree varieties has gone down as farmers prefer growing sugarcane on a higher acreage.
In Mumbai, retail prices of the green chilli have doubled to about ₹80/kg.
Framer Lalit Bhalale from Akola said that the green chilli crops have been affected by fungus and the moisture in the air. The extended monsoon season has also deprived farmers of shade and open drying their green chilli crops, leading to a shortage of dried red chillies.
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