Guntur city, known for hosting Asia's largest Chilli Market Yard, is experiencing significant traffic disruptions due to the high volume of chilli trade. Over the past three days, the market yard has been receiving an influx of chilli bags, ranging between 1.3 lakh to 1.5 lakh bags daily. This surge in chilli arrivals has led to considerable traffic congestion, particularly on the Guntur-Sattenapalli road, a major thoroughfare in the city.
To alleviate the traffic issues and manage the high volume of chilli stocks, market officials have decided to close the yard every Wednesday. This closure will allow for a day dedicated solely to selling, which is expected to help clear the accumulated stock of chillies.
The increase in chilli arrivals at the Guntur yard is attributed to the early end of the chilli crop season in Karnataka and Telangana. Consequently, many farmers have chosen to sell their produce at the Guntur yard, leading to the chilli season starting in December instead of the usual March. In the past week, the yard has seen an average arrival of about 1 lakh to 1.5 lakh chilli bags.
As a temporary measure to address the overcrowding and logistics challenges, officials have opted to halt chilli arrivals on Wednesdays, while maintaining the selling activities. This strategy is intended to provide more space for new arrivals on subsequent days. This arrangement is set to continue until the end of March.
Regarding chilli prices, they have remained stable for now. The current price range per quintal for various chilli varieties is as follows:
- Teja S17: Rs 18,000 to Rs 20,500
- 334 Sannam: Rs 16,000 to Rs 19,000
- Byadagi 5531/668: Rs 13,000 to Rs 15,500
- Variety 341: Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000
- Devanuru Deluxe: Rs 15,000 to Rs 18,000
- Armoor: Rs 14,000 to Rs 16,000
There is an anticipation that prices might increase in March according to yard authorities.