Red chilli price touches new high in Trichy

TRICHY: The price of red chilli has touched a new high in Trichy thanks to the damage suffered by the crop due to rain in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. Low production in Trichy and the surrounding district had already raised prices by 70% over the last few months, traders said. From Rs 180 for a kilogram two months ago, red chilli has been costing up to ` 300 to ` 320 in the retail market for the last few weeks in Trichy.
Gandhi market wholesale traders say they sell the hot spice for ` 250 to ` 280 a kg based on quality. This sudden hike has burnt a hole in the consumer’s pocket. “This is not the season for red chillies. It is normal for the price to go up by ` 20 to ` 30 a kg. However, compared to the last few years, supply has gone down drastically. Gandhi market is getting only 30% of red chilli from Trichy district,” R Shanmugam, a wholesale trader in the market, told TOI.
“January to March is the harvesting season in Trichy district for red chilli. However, arrivals from Manapparai, Vaiyampatti, Thuraiyur and T Pettai have been very low in the last few years as the cultivable area has gone down drastically. Till last year we have been getting a good volume of red chilli from Dindigul also. Now we are forced to rely on Andhra Pradesh completely. So we could not control the price due to the rain-hit crop damage there,” Shanmugam added.
The average arrival from Andhra Pradesh is around 400 to 500 bags daily against the regular number of 1,000 bags. Each gunny bag contains 40 kg of the condiment, he added.