Farmers to be trained in improving quality of chilli

Guntur: The department of Horticulture in cooperation with Spices Board has launched a pilot project to educate and train chilli farmers on producing export-quality chillies, which are pesticide residue-free while adhering to international standards on the use of pesticides. The department has identified 200 villages in 22 mandals in the district for the purpose.

Meanwhile, last year, 80,000 metric tonnes of chillies were exported to Asian and Western countries. While 60,000 tonnes had been exported to Asian countries, only 20,000 tonnes had been imported by Western and European countries. The West is stringent in its standards while some Asian countries are lenient.

While the Horticulture department has taken the responsibility to train farmers, the Spices Board is extending its cooperation by releasing subsidies to the tune of 90 per cent for the purpose. While farmers are utilising pesticides like Trizophaus, Ethian, the department recommends Pegasis and Pride. Speaking to 'The Hans India,' Horticulture department deputy director K Jayachandra Reddy told farmers to spray neem oil of 1,500 PPM mixed with 5 ml of water, instead, to get rid of pesticide residue.

The department after subjecting the products to test in Spices Board labs would place the data on the website of National Commodities Exchange and the foreign importers can directly contact the farmers. The farmers too need not depend on agents or even local export companies and they can directly contact the foreign importers.

The deputy director of Horticulture department said that from next year, the pilot project will be implemented benefitting all the chilli farmers and the volume of exports would get a big boost bringing foreign exchange to the country and high export price to their produce. This will change the face of Guntur Chilli Market in the near future.

Guntur chilli, known worldwide for its pungency, has a great potential to export them to Western and European countries.
Spices Board scientist and director Padmaja said USA imports chillies from India. Despite great demand for Guntur chilli, the chillies from India are rejected due to high pesticide residues.

She said that America extracts oil from chillies, which is equivalent to chilli powder spice value in India. The Gulf countries too extract oil from chillies and use them in food preparations. One quintal of chillies fetches Rs 10,000 in domestic market whereas export chillies fetch Rs 15,000 per quintal, she added. Exporter Janga Narsareddy said that farmers use high quantity of pesticides and fertilisers to get high yield and in the process the chillies are losing their food value.

Speaking to The Hans India, Guntur Market Committee selection grade secretary Y Rama Mohana Reddy said that Guntur chillies are exported to other states in the country and to USA, Sri Lanka, Middle East, England, Singapore, Malaysia, Pakistan and Germany. Visveshwar Reddy, a farmer from Yadlapadu said that he was one among the thousand farmers selected by the department to produce pesticide residue-free chillies.

“I am happy that I can earn more this year as export price is 50 per cent more than domestic price,” he added.