Local growers teary eyed as Guj chilli makes gain

NT Correspondent

Haveri:

Record sales of a Gujarati chilli variety ‘Pusha’ or ‘Lali’ this year have caused concern among local chilli growers in the poll-bound state of Karnataka. Media reports indicate that over the last few months, 20,000 quintals of the chilli have been sold in Byadagi, one of Asia’s largest chilli markets and known for its unique variety of chillies that are named after the market. While ‘Pusha’ is not considered to be in direct competition to locally-grown Dabbi and Kaddi varieties, the large number of Gujarati chillies entering the Byadagi market has the potential to eat into the market share of the famous Byadagi chilli, according to experts.

The amendments to the APMC Act allow agricultural produce from other states to be marketed in Karnataka, and the entry of ‘Pusha’ into the market has made local growers wary. The Cong ress, JDS, and pro-Kannada activist groups had previously opposed the entry of Gujarat’s dairy giant Amul into the Karnataka market after the company announced plans to sell milk and curd. The concerns among local growers in the state reflect a larger trend in India’s agricultural sector, where state-specific branding and marketing campaigns are being challenged by the entry of products from other regions. In Karnataka, the sales of ‘Pusha’ may indicate a shift in the state’s chilli market and a challenge to the dominance of the Byadagi chilli.