The highly sought-after green chillies hit the Thimphu vegetable market at a much lower price beginning today. The agriculture ministry will initiate the time bound import for three months until March to ensure availability and curb illegal import. The Food Corporation of Bhutan Limited or FCBL will import and distribute the chillies to the vendors.
Hundreds lined up in a long queue near the Centenary Farmers’ Market to get the chillies. The FCBL distributed 14 metric tons of the spice to the consumers today and will import 350 metric tons every month until March to meet the local demand. As per the agriculture ministry’s record, Bhutanese consume 420 metric tons of chillies every month.
Green chillies have been in high demand so much so that a few have tried importing it illegally.
“We are grateful for the government’s initiative. However, for individuals who have been importing chillies have been slapped fines. I think this is unclear as the chillies that the government is distributing right now is also from the across the border,” said Pema Seldon, a vendor in Thimphu.
“We would be grateful if the government allow us to import instead of just giving it to the FCBL. This is because there are many vendors who have been affected. So, if this opportunity is given to the vendors then it would immensely benefit them,” said Chimi Dorji, another vendor.
The interim measure comes after the Bhutan Agriculture and Food Regulatory Authority (BAFRA) tested some of the batches of chillies recently and found the chemical content within the permissible limit, meaning safe for consumption.
However, the BAFRA will continue testing all consignments of the incoming chillies based on which the import will be considered.
“The one that the government is importing is for the common interest of the consumers meaning that the price hoarding is not there in the government imported chillies whereas the private individuals import has price hoarding so that is against the interest of the consumers,” said the Agriculture Minister, Yeshey Penjor.
The Minister added that the import of green chillies by private individuals will continue to remain illegal until the government lifts the ban on the import in the country.
The agriculture ministry in consultation with the FCBL will sell the spice at the rates varying from Nu 61 to Nu 75 per kilogram. The price will depend on the transportation costs across the dzongkhags. The relevant government agencies will monitor the price in the market.
Meanwhile, as per the agriculture ministry, the in-country winter chilli production meets only about 20 per cent of the total consumer requirements.
The BAFRA banned the import of chillies from India in June 2016 following high pesticide content in the imported chillies.
Karma Wangdi
Edited by Sonam Pem
