Red chilli that sold for a little over ₹ 21,000 a quintal in the agriculture market yard here three weeks ago, fetched a low price of ₹ 13,100 a quintal on Friday, leaving chilli growers distraught.
The initial euphoria over the highest price commanded by red chilli in the second week of January in the present procurement season gradually subsided following slump in the price of the commodity, dampening the hopes of chilli growers of reaping rich dividends.
Chilli farmers are now grappling with the sharp fall in the price of the commodity.
It may be mentioned that some irate farmers staged a protest in the market yard on Thursday distraught over the alleged low price offered to their produce by the traders.
The angry farmers blamed the drastic crash in price of red chilli in a span of just three weeks on the “errant traders” accusing them of trying to attribute it to the alleged decline in chilli exports in the aftermath of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China.
The agitated farmers termed the contention of a section of traders as “baseless.”
Following the incident, a posse of police personnel was deployed at the market yard to prevent untoward incidents.
Meanwhile, around 20,000 bags of red chilli have arrived in the market yard for sale on Friday.
