Pic: Byadagi international market, that saw millions of chilli bags in peak season, now faces a severe shortageHaveri: The Byadagi international market faced a shortage of chilli supply this year, with even spice companies affected, as the market almost shut down due to scarcity. Usually, in Jan and Feb, the market overflowed with millions of bags of chilli, but this year saw a significant shortage. Traders who expected an increase in supply were disappointed, as the 2nd week of the month brought no relief. For many years, from Dec to March, millions of chilli bags arrived from Andhra, Ballari, Anantapur and Srisailam, leaving no space in the market.
However, this year, the market was empty, as if there was no chilli cultivation. In the first 2 months of the season, local chillies from regions like Kundagol, Annigeri, Antur-Bentur, and Gadag used to arrive at the market. This year, there was no supply of local or seed variety chillies from other states, worrying the traders.Large spice companies in the state and country rely on the chilli bags that arrive at the market. Prominent traders purchased these and supplied them to spice companies. This year, due to the lack of chilli supply, spice companies faced a significant shortage.Over the past two years, farmers who cultivated chillies extensively but could not get a good price turned to other commercial crops. This shift, along with reduced yield and disease issues, was cited as the reason for the decline in chilli supply this year.In 2024, despite extensive chilli cultivation, farmers were distressed due to low prices. Some miscreants took advantage of this and set fire to several vehicles at the local APMC office, causing damage worth crores. However, this year, even though prices were higher than gold, the chilli supply unexpectedly declined. In situations where there was no supply to meet demand, price increases were common.This time, the same situation prevailed, and due to the price hike, even companies extracting oleoresin (oil) from chillies were hesitant to purchase.“This year, chilli supply is not meeting demand. Reasons include reduced yield, decreased cultivation area, farmers’ reluctance towards chilli cultivation, and chilli trade occurring only in villages. There is an expectation of a slight increase in supply in the coming months of March and April,” said Suresh Gowda Patil, president of the Traders’ Association and former MLA.
