Dry chilli farmers at the Agriculture Market in Khammam are facing a tough situation. They had stored their chillies in cold storage for three months, but now the prices have dropped significantly. The prices of Teja type AC Mirchi and regular non AC Mirchi have both fallen.
At the market on Thursday, the flag price for a quintal of chillies in cold storage was set at Rs 17,500, but traders were buying at Rs 15,000 to Rs 16,000 depending on quality. The price of AC Mirchi also dropped by Rs 2000 per quintal in just one day.
The prices of non-AC chillies have fallen even further, with a quintal now selling for Rs 10,000 to Rs 14,000. The decrease in prices is being attributed to the halt in exports of Teja chillies to various countries like China, Singapore, and Malaysia.
Farmers are hesitant to sell their crops from cold storage at these low prices. They had stored their crops hoping for better prices, but now they are facing losses. The start of the Kharif cultivation season is adding to their worries as they fear selling their crops at a loss for investment purposes.
