With the number of chilli growers having increased this year, the demand for chilli seeds surpassed its supply, thereby hiking the price from K8,000 to K30,000 per packet, said U Soe Lwin, deputy chairman of the Sagaing Region Fruit, Flower and Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association.
“During the 2018-19 fiscal year, there are 14,000 acres of chilli fields in the Sagaing Region, with a production rate of over 4 million viss (1viss=1.6 kg). The green chilli thermo 11 variety is mostly cultivated in Monywa District, and that variety has developed a shortage. So, similar kinds of chilli are being cultivated, rather than that. There were over 2,000 acres of chilli cultivated in Monywa last year”, noted U Soe Lwin.
The chilli growing season continues from July to December. The high price of chilli in the domestic market prompted the growers to extend their cultivating areas.
Over 10 million viss of fresh and dried chilli were produced during the monsoon and winter growing season of the current 2018-19 FY in Sagaing Region.
The chilli market is growing due to local and foreign demand. The cultivation acres in Monywa District are likely to double, chilli growers said. —Myo Win Tun (Monywa)
(Translated by La Wonn)
