Guntur farmers quote higher prices for produce

A number of farmers declined to sell their chilli produce at Rs 6,200 a quintal here on Monday, the third day after the markets reopened.

Traders, who admitted that the crop quality was really good, rued that farmers quoted an unreasonable price of Rs 7,000 upwards. Lack of export orders also deterred the buyers. Chilli arrivals picked up on Monday with farmers unloading 52,498 tikkis (40 kg bags) at the marketyard. The arrivals are expected to touch the season's peak of 1-1.25 lakh tikkis in a couple of days.

Cold storage chillies (A) fetched Rs 3,800-5,500 a quintal. Traders paid Rs 4,300-4,900 a quintal for chilli special varieties and Rs 2,800-4,200 a quintal for common varieties. Farmers sold away white (talu) chillies at Rs 700-2,000. Almost the same prices were quoted on Thursday when the market reopened and on Friday.

Farmers brought 5,727 quintals of chillies on the first day and 3,392 quintals on the second day. According to yard sources, 58.50 lakh tikkis have been lying in 72 cold storages in Guntur district.

While cold storage chillies is certain to hit the market in September-October, farmers are expected to market 8 lakh tikkis at the yard in the coming days.