Chilli farmers in distress as prices plummet

Farmers demand Rs 25,000 support price per quintal Khammam Lok Sabha MP Ramasahayam Raghuram Reddy demanded a remunerative price for chilli.
A massive protest was staged on Tuesday at the Khammam Agricultural Market under the leadership of Left parties, All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), and Telangana Rythu Sangham as prices of all chilli verities dropped. The farmers demanded that the government stabilise chilli prices and provide a support price of Rs 25,000 per quintal for chillies.
They demand the establishment of a Chilli Board for price stabilisation. Pothineni Sudarshan Rao, the state president of the Telangana Rythu Sangham, urged the government to recognise chillies as a food crop rather than a commercial crop. He demanded the establishment of a Chilli Board in Khammam to ensure price stabilisation. He also demanded that the government purchase chillies through MARKFED and NAFED at a support price of Rs 25,000 per quintal.
In 2023, chillies were sold at Rs 25,500 per quintal, but currently, they are being bought at the rate of Rs 11,000-13,000 per quintal, which is a matter of concern, said the farmers. It was mentioned that 447 farmers across the state committed suicide this year, with four deaths in the undivided Khammam district attributed to the instability in chilli prices.
The leaders and the farmers criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ignoring the agricultural sector. Despite the presence of two Central Ministers in the state and three State Ministers in Khammam district, no assistance has been provided to farmers, he said.
The farmers also demanded the abolition of Goods and Service Tax (GST) on crops, fertilisers, and pesticides. They expressed anger over the imposition of GST.
CPM district secretary Nunna Nageshwara Rao warned that if the government failed to respond, the farmers would lay siege to the Ministers’ camp offices.
Khammam MP Raghuram Reddy appealed to the Central government to establish a Chilli Board.
The protest was attended by Telangana Rythu Sangham leaders Yarra Srikant, Madineni Ramesh, Bhukya Veerabhadra, Y. Vikram, Yarra Srinivas Rao, Corporator Yallampalli Venkatar Rao, and others.