Spice Board to hold chilli mela after three years

Hubballi: After a gap of nearly three years, Karnataka State Spices Development Board, Hubballi will organize a three-day chilli mela from January 20 to 22 at Moorusavir mutt premises here.
The chilli mela has become a huge hit among farmers and consumers as it has provided a big platform. Farmers from Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, and other surrounding districts have participated in the mela to sell their produce directly to consumers. The mela was not organised for the past three years due to the pandemic.
Raveendra Hakati, general manager at the board told TOI that the main aim of the mela is to provide a facility to farmers to sell their produce directly to consumers without the menace of agents or middlemen, to bring all chilli growers of Karnataka under one platform and to enhance their technical knowledge to make chilli growing a profitable one.
He said scientists from Horticulture University, Bagalkot will interact with the farmers on January 21 to train them on new technology invented to help farmers increase the yield of chilli and other crops. They will also guide them on using fertilizers, marketing, and ways to make agriculture profitable.
“We are providing stalls and other facilities free of cost to the farmers who are attending the mela. More than 100 farmers are expected to participate,” he said.
“In 2018-19, 120 farmers participated in the chilli mela and 45 tonnes of chilli worth Rs 65 lakh was sold. In 2019-20, 33 tonnes of chilli worth Rs 77 lakh was sold during the mela. We are expecting good sales this year,” he said.
He said chilli has been cultivated on 1.15 lakh hectares of land in Karnataka and Ballari district is on top at 39,566 hectares. It is followed by Dharwad (16,981), Gadag (14,410), Raichur (8,725), Bagalkot (5,503), Haveri (2,802), Chitradurga (2,774) and Davanagere (334 hectares).
He said interested farmers can register their names with the board to participate in the mela. He said the board was expecting an overwhelming response from chilli growers from across the state.