Karnataka: Angry farmers resort to vandalism after chilli prices fall in Haveri district

A group of angry farmers gathered in front of the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) office at Byadgi in Haveri district of Karnataka and allegedly resorted to vandalism expressing their anger over the sudden fall in chilli prices.

They allegedly also set ablaze at least three vehicles including a fire engine and ransacked and vandalised the APMC office.

When police personnel and a fire engine arrived at the spot to control the situation, they blocked the entry to the market and prevented them from entering the area.

Later, the police managed to disperse the crowd and brought the situation under control.

Home Minister G Parameshwara told reporters that chilli prices had gone down from Rs 20,000 per quintal to Rs 8,000 per quintal in a single day and that led to a commotion in Haveri APMC market. It is being checked whether this kind of price fall has happened in all the APMC markets or only in the Haveri market.

The APMC office in Haveri district was broken into and furniture was destroyed.

The Chief Minister has asked for a report to be submitted to find out the reasons behind the fall in prices. He informed that further action will be taken based on the report.

Meanwhile, there are reports of a decline in chilli prices in neighbouring Telangana as well. Chilli farmers are a harried lot there, as the prices of Chapata chilli, which is unique to the erstwhile Warangal region and had earned a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, has come down by half this year. The chilli prices had crossed Rs 90,000 per quintal last year, but the farmers this year are being offered anywhere between Rs 37,000 to Rs 40,000 per quintal.

Incidentally, Telangana had registered a 36 per cent increase in the area under chilli crop this year. Nearly four lakh acres of area were brought under the chilli crop this season in the state.

(With agency inputs)