Slump in chilli prices sparks anger among farmers; APMC office, police vehicles torched

Haveri: The sudden 10 percent slump in chilli procurement prices at the Byadagi wholesale agricultural market in Haveri district sparked a wave of anger among farmers from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.

Their frustration boiled over into violence as hundreds took to the streets, venting their outrage through vandalism and attacks on law enforcement and district administration officials.

The escalation reached a dangerous point as police vehicles were vandalized and two were set ablaze by the enraged farmers.

The violence erupted as Byadagi, a significant chili trade hub in central Karnataka, is facing challenges due to a surplus in production, leading to a decrease in prices.

The prices of Byadagi variety chilli dropped significantly from Rs 20,000 per quintal to Rs 8,000 per quintal in just a week. In 2022, the Byadagi chili fetched a bumper price of Rs 76,000 per quintal. Byadagi police are investigating the case.

The market, which convenes twice a week to determine pricing, experienced an influx of chili arrivals.

On Monday alone, 3.5 lakh bags, each containing 50kg of chili, arrived at the market. This influx surpassed the cold-storage capacity of the market, which is equipped with around 40 privately managed cold-storage units.

The farmers are also fearing further decline in prices if the challenges posed by the oversupply situation coupled with limited storage capacity are not managed effectively.

The anguished farmers, who had anticipated receiving around 4,000 per quintal for their produce, found themselves disappointed when offered less by traders.

This led to heated arguments between the farmers and the traders, with the latter asserting that the price they were offering was closely linked to the quality of the produce, market demand, transportation costs, and resale potential.

Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara stated that the government has taken serious note of the incident.