The people of Mancheri village under Orong Gewog of Samdrup Jongkhar are doing a good chilli business.
They started to cultivate chilli on a large scale since the import of chillies were banned in 2017.
Chilli has now become one of the main sources of income for the farmers there, all the 23 households now grow chillies. A farmer earns around Nu 40,000 to 70,000 from chillies in a year.
Farmers say after the ban on import of chillies, prices increased. Earlier a kilogram of chilli fetched only Nu 50 to 70 while today it fetches around Nu 150 to 200.
“Before we use to cultivate chilli and maize together in one field at the same time, now we are cultivating chilli separately and starting from June month we harvest it. This year I have sold almost all the chilli and earned about Nu 60,000,” Tendi Chenzom, a farmer, said.
“Before we use to sell only dry chillies but now we sell even the fresh ones, as it is profitable,” Tshewang Rinzin, another farmer, said.
“Chilli is the main sources of income for us here and import of chilli from India is banned we fetch better prices and we are cultivating more now,” Changlupa, also a farmer, said.
Farmers start cultivating chillies from February and harvest season begins from June.
About 150 metric tons of chilli were produced in Orong last year.
Kinley Wangchuk
