Red-hot chilli of Guntur can be deadly

Vijayawada: It’s not just deficiency of micronutrients in soil that is affecting human health. Excessive use of pesticides for quick and better yields is leading to serious health ailments if used on produce such as the famed Guntur Red Chilli.  

Next time you want to add the famed chilli powder from Guntur to your favourite dish, think twice. Chances are that the powder, famous across the country, may be laced with harmful pesticides.

Due to the presence of this pesticide residue, Guntur chillies are not accepted by European countries and America. Export of these chillies is mainly to Asian countries. Tests conducted two years ago by the Pesticide Residue Research and Analytical Lab attached to the Kerala Agriculture University at Vellayani, on 51 chilli powder samples, showed that 21 samples originating in Guntur contained harmful pesticide residues. 

Pesticides such as Bifenthrin, Ethion, Bifenthrin, Chlorpyriphos, Cypermethrin and Malathion were found in quantities of 0.07 to 3.54 parts per million in the 21 samples of chilli powder.  Experts warn that consuming such pesticide-laden chilli powder is not good for health.

"Pesticides are commonly used by chilli growing farmers in Guntur. While other agri products are washed before they are used, dry chillies and powder from them can't be washed and that means the pesticide residues in the powder remain intact. This will have an adverse impact on health even if consumed in small quantities," noted agriculture scientist and founder of the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, Dr G V Ramanjaneyulu, told Deccan Chronicle.

He said that chilli farmers in Guntur use pesticides indiscriminately to eliminate the sucker pest that manifests due to the excessive use of fertilisers. "While for any other agriculture variety crop around three to four bags of fertilisers are used, Guntur chilli growing farmers use at least 30 bags for a better yield. More fertiliser use leads to the prevalence of sucker pest and to eliminate it, pesticides in huge quantities are used," Dr Ramanjaneyulu said, explaining the chicken and egg nature of pesticide use.

He added that farmers need to be educated about organic chilli farming which will also boost exports. European countries have strict rules on the amount of pesticide residue allowed in food products and thus consignments are often rejected by those countries, he said.
 
Former president of the Guntur Chilli Traders Association, K Sambi Reddy agrees that the overuse of pesticides has harmed chilli exports.  

  "It's true that due to the presence of pesticide residues we are unable to export to European countries and the US.  The Agriculture department should take the initiative to discourage use of pesticides so that exports can get a boost. Plans to make chilli growing farmers adopt the organic way of farming have remained only on paper," he said.