Green chilli is also living up to its pungent reputation with a kilo crossing Rs. 30 a kg at Rythu Bazaar. The vegetable markets literally went dry as there were little or no arrivals on Saturday and Sunday. Not just the city, but there is a shortage of chilli in entire district.
The prices have increased in the Rythu Bazars, too, but they are lower than in the open market. The price of green chillies rose to Rs 24 a-kg from Rs 30. Sifting through vegetables at a daily market, a visibly upset Y. Radha, a homemaker, said that the struggle to lay hand on green chilli proved to be futile as there were no stalls to sell the vegetable. “The green chilli prices are on fire. There are no stocks even if someone wanted to purchase it at any cost,” said Ramalinga Murthy, of Labbipet.
And, the chillies were available only for early birds. Those who visited the bazaar after 8.30 a.m. had to return empty hands as the market went dry. Despite, rise in prices, the hawkers were not willing to sell immediately hoping the prices would further soar.
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Estate Officer of Rythu Bazaar at Swaraj Maidan said that they ensured chilli was available to every customer by asking the stall owners to sell the chilli infront of their office.
In addition, additional stocks of 10 quintals were brought from Guntur to meet the demand, he said.
As many as 80 quintals, on average, of green chilli is sold at Swaraj Maidan Rythu Bazaar daily.
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However, only two quintals of chilli arrived on Sunday. Likewise, 15 quintals are sold at Kedareswarapeta and Ajitsingh Nagar bazaars, while 40 quintals are sold at Patamata rythu bazaar.
This apart, 1600 quintals of chilli is sold at Rajiv Gandhi Wholesale Market daily. The traders across the district purchase chilli at this wholesale market, which remained closed on Sunday.
And if last two days' rains in main chilli growing regions like Maidukur of Kadapa district are any indication, prices won't taper off by in near future.
The intermittent rain is a bane for chilli harvesting. The farmers hesitate to reap the chillies when it rained. The chilli either would be damaged or ripened if cut in rains, the officials explained.
Except in Avanigadda, no farmer grows chilli in the district. Even the produce at Avanigadda is sold at Machilipatnam.
Even here chilli is not grown in more than 30 acres. The district receives all the arrivals are from Maiukuru in Kadapa district, they said.