Guntur Chilli Market is in Red Zone, farmers, traders and workers in distress

Amaravati: Chilli farmers are facing altogether a different problem at Asia's largest market yard, the Agriculture Market Committee, Guntur. No demand-supply theory is applicable to this problem. Because, there is a demand and there is produce ready for supply. Even the supply chain is also ready to transport agriculture produce from the farm to the market yard. Traders are also eagerly waiting to do the business. All the workers and families are waiting for work. In fact, the government and Market Committee also ready to facilitate the trade. Still, Asia's biggest Chilli market yard is unable to catch even a single transaction from exactly one month, due to the strict lockdown.

This market is famously known as Guntur Chilli Market Yard. The entire market yard is in COVID19 Red Zone, due to which the State government has imposed a strict lockdown. It completed exactly one month of lockdown and no sale took place in the market yard from March 21 to April 21.

More than 21 lakh bags of Chilli, worth around Rs. 600 crore trade took place at the market yard between March 21, 2019, to April 21, 2019. There is almost zero business in the same period this year, the statistics of the AMC-Guntur revealed.

Speaking to The Hans India, Chandragiri Yesuratnam, Chairman, AMC-Guntur said that they have been preparing a plan of action to allow the farmers and traders to business outside the market by identifying areas near the market yard. The places which are not affected with the COVID19 will be announced for temporary trade. Areas around the Nallapadu village near the market likely to be finalized.

He further hoped that the government may allow the AMC-Guntur to continue the trade after May 3.

Yesuratnam said that as the Chinese market allowing India's Chilli, the farmers will get remunerative price. But, due to the peculiar situation prevailing in our country in general and at the market yard in particular, they could not allow the farmers and traders to do business here.

He suggested the farmers hold the product for the next ten days and sell at the best price, instead of ending with losses.

There are nearly 70 lakh bags of produce is stored in the Cold Storages around the Guntur city and still, the place is available for another 10 lakh to 12 lakh bags. There are 86 Cold Storages available around Guntur city and more than 120 Cold Storages in function in the entire district.

On the other hand, R Mallikharjuna, a worker at the yard said that as there was no business from last one month, they were struggling to lead the life.

A Chilli farmer, K. Srinivas said that since they have to invest as much as Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh per acre to cultivate the Chilli, they could not wait for a long time and forced to sell the produce. Unless they sell the product, the interests on the debts will be increased on the one and the product will get damaged. If the product damaged, then the traders will not purchase with market prices, he added.