ow, chillies and their farmers too will have an address and an identity in the virtual world. The Guntur regional office of the Spices Board of India has initiated efforts towards adding value to the chilli produce of the Telugu-speaking States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana through latest technology.
As part of the pilot project ‘e-Chilli,’ the board has selected 10 villages in Guntur district which are known for their high yield of this variety of the spice.
A database of about 1,000 chilli farmers from these villages was created and their produce updated regularly. According to E. Mohan Rao, Deputy Director (Marketing), Spices Board, Guntur, efforts are on to put up this information on the Internet in the coming few days.
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“Previously, we did not know the origin of the chilli or who produced it once it enters the market. Similarly, we were also not sure about how much quantity is available with which farmer. This pilot project simplifies the whole process of chilli business,” said Mr. Rao.
“We will give unique code numbers to each farmer and their stock will have GPS stickers too. We will help them package the stock with attractively designed bags.” According to Mr. Rao, a separate space will be created online where prospective buyers can keep track of the chilli quantities and their location which in turn can fetch a better price for the farmers.
“The project duration is three years. We will be slowly adding more farmers and villages to the project. Ultimately, our aim is to bring together the chilli farmers of Guntur, Prakasam, Warangal and Khammam,” Mr. Rao added.
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In the year 2014-15, the quantity of chilli exported was 3,45,000 tonnes. He said that if the project is successful, then a similar initiative will be implemented for all other spices produced in the country.
The project duration is three years. We will be slowly adding more farmers and villages in to the project