Farmers set 12 vehicles on fire over drop in chilli prices

The farmers were agitated after the chilli prices plummeted from ₹20,000 to ₹8,000 per quantile in a single day

Belagavi: Violence broke out in Byadagi town of Haveri district when a group of farmers protested a drastic drop in chilli prices.

The farmers set 12 vehicles on fire, including five government-owned ones. (HT)

The farmers under the banner of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha set 12 vehicles on fire on Monday and Tuesday, including five government-owned ones.

They also vandalised the office of Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), said police.

“Apart from stoning, vehicles were set on fire. These included a police van, a firefighter vehicle, a car of APMC president and a jeep belonging to the government department, among others. The protesters also ransacked the APMC office. The protesters, armed with sticks, forced the few police personnel deputed there to flee. Then, we had to press additional force that resorted to light caning. The situation was brought under control,” said inspector general of police (IGP) Tyagraj.

The farmers were agitated after the chilli prices plummeted from ₹20,000 to ₹8,000 per quantile in a single day.

Raghunandan Murthy, the deputy commissioner of Haveri, attributed this free fall to an unprecedented influx of Byadagi chillies, not only from within Karnataka but also from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

“Farmers from Andhra Pradesh, reacting to lower prices in their state, flooded our markets with Byadagi chillies, leading to a sharp decline in rates,” explained Murthy.

Siddagouda Modagi, the president of the North Karnataka Sugarcane Growers Association that is affiliated with state farmers’ associations, said, farmers from southern states grow the internationally known Byadagi chilli and export the produce through APMCs.

“Along with other crops, farmers in north Karnataka grow chilli as it is a commercial crop yielding results in a short time with less risk. The drastic fall in rates from ₹20,000 to ₹8,000 per quantile in just one day stunned the farmers,” he added.

Prakash Naik, representing the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangh, criticised the failure of the Haveri agriculture department to manage the influx of chillies, which overwhelmed the market.

“Lack of coordination by the department resulted in an influx of 5 lakh (500,000) quantiles of Byadagi chillies leading to the crisis,” he added.

The APMC officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the rapid decline in auction prices, attributing it to the overwhelming supply of chillies and pressure from bidders demanding lower rates.

Meanwhile, chief minister Siddaramaiah directed the agriculture department to investigate the root causes of the price collapse.

He asked for a report to be submitted on the same, based on which action will be taken, said the official.