Centre targets 75,000 tonnes non-pesticide chilly production

Hyderabad, May 6 (UNI) Following the increasing demand for non-pesticide chillies in the world market, Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh today announced that the Centre had targeted to produce 75,000 tonnes of chillies in the next five years in the country.

Talking to newspersons here, Mr Ramesh said 2,000 tonnes of non-pesticide chillies were produced during this year. The non- pesticide chilly production would be increased to 75,000 tonnes in the next five years as the demand was increasing in the world market since last year.

Stating that the total export of spices was recorded at Rs 2,400 crore during 2006-07, out of which Rs 600 crore worth chillies were exported, he said 75 per cent chillies, out of total chilly production in the country, were exported from Andhra Pradesh.

The minister said the Spice Board and the state government had tied up to promote the production of non-pesticide chillies in Guntur and Khammam districts which were contributing the highest production of chillies in the country.

UNI