Hyderabad: Irrigation and Marketing Minister T. Harish Rao has sought 50% Central assistance under Market Intervention Fund to enable Telangana Government buy chilli directly from farmers.
“During current year chilli production increased up to 14% resulting adverse impact on prices ranging from Rs. 5000-6000 per quintal, compared to Rs.10,000 per quintal last year. With a view to stabilize and regulate prices to protect farmers of their produce,
a committee was constituted in the year 2015 under Chairmanship of APC & Secretary to Government, Agriculture Cooperative Department.
This Committee during its meeting held on March 31 had elaborate discussions and recommended to procure the chilies at Rs.7000 per quintal directly from the farmers,” Harish Rao said in his letter to Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh.
Harish Rao said against the total chilli production of 698,353 MTs this year, as much as 174,588.25 MTs, 10 % of the production is proposed under MIS with an estimated cost of Rs. 502.59 Crores while meeting 50% has central assistance from Government of India under Market Intervention Scheme from out of the Marketing Intervention Fund in order to rescue the deprived chilli producers and to encourage them by instilling confidence to carry out the production in coming years also.
“In view of the above circumstance, I request that, necessary orders please be issued to make available 50% Central Assistance to the Telangana State under Market Intervention Fund which could help the farmers of chilli product stabilizing the prices and yeild reasonable income,” Harish Rao urged. (INN)