Warangal: The new produce of local variety red chilli has been sold at a record price of ₹80,100 per quintal in Asia's biggest agriculture market at Enumamula in Hanamkonda district on Friday.
A farmer from Khammam district transported 10 bags of four quintals red chilli to the chilli yard at Enumamula Agriculture Market in the morning. Merchants competed with one another in the auction for this chilli, which finally went for a record price of ₹80,100 per quintal.
There is a great demand for this variety of red chillies in the international market. With decrease in productivity, its prices have been shooting up in the Warangal chilli yard since past few months.
Last year, the price of red chilli touched ₹90,000 per quintal, an all-time record in India. A large number of farmers from Palakurthy, Devaruppula and Kodakandla mandals cultivated chilli this year.
In Palakurthy, 304 farmers raised the crop in 16 village panchayats. Officials are estimating the production to be 10,000 quintals in the area. In Devaruppula mandal, around 90 farmers cultivated chilli crops in nine village panchayats. Around 2,500 quintals are expected from here. In Kodakandla, 205 farmers have cultivated the crop in 10 village panchayats, where the yield could be about 5,000 quintals.
Many chilli farmers had been a worried lot in the beginning of the season, as their chilli had been attacked by an invasive pest virus. Even though they have got less yield, they are happy with the record prices they have got this year.
