Andhra Pradesh - Guntur   

Poly-houses limit chilli ryots’ loss

GUNTUR: Incessant rain for the past 36 hours has spelt doom for several chilli growers in Guntur district and this is not the first time it is happening like this, but they seem to have not learnt a lesson, opines Horticulture Department Assistant Director D. Madhusudhana Reddy.

There are at least more than a dozen farmers, who are smiling even in this situation as they have acquired a poly-house to dry their chillies and that protects their produce from the vagaries of the nature.

"Instead of promoting tarpaulin sheets that cost between Rs.8,000 and Rs.10,000 if all agencies put together promote poly-houses they can serve as multi-purpose sheds saving chilli growers from loss," Mr. Madhusudhana Reddy told The Hindu on Saturday.

The loss is limited to some few areas where the farmers have dried their produce in low-lying areas, but rain stopped from Saturday afternoon in the entire district and tarpaulins have been removed and existing stock needs to be graded to ensure better price and minimal loss, he said. Medikondur, Tadikonda, Edlapadu, Vinukonda, Veldurthy, Ipuru, Rompicherla and Pedakurapadu mandals received good rain and some farmers did not have the tarpaulin also, said Agriculture Market Yard Chairman L. Appi Reddy after touring some of the areas on Saturday afternoon.

Colour of chillies will turn white in at least 30 per cent of plucked crop, but the remaining can be salvaged, the horticulturist said and expressed dismay at lack of will on part of farmers and community political leaders to promote poly-houses for which 50 per cent subsidy was available.

This poly-house can double up as a shaded nursery for chilly crop from June to July, through which the farmers can recover their entire investment and utilize it further for next three to four years, Mr. Madhusudhana Reddy said.

The department proposes to promote this concept in a big way from this season and targets setting up at least 150 poly-houses of 25 quintals capacity in the district.

Telugu Desam Party leader and Rajya Sabha nominee Nandamuri Harikrishna also toured some fields where chilly was being dried at Edlapadu on Saturday.

The Marketyard chairman said that he would request the Chief Minister to allow Markfed to buy inferior quality of chilli.

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