13 Dec
THE whole villagers from Yedwingone village, Minbu (Saku) township, Magway region are growing chilli with the use of irrigated water. The local chilli growers are happy with the bumper production and earning double price compared to the same period of last year.
About 200 villagers from Yedwingone village are growing chilli. They are sending around 5,000 visses of chilli daily to traders in Minbu town. Although the chilli growers sold the chilli for K500- 800 per viss last year, the price has risen double to K1,200-1,700 per viss this year.
“The chilli is grown mostly in June. It can be picked up in October. The chilli can be picked two times per month. The chilli growers sell the chilli usually between November and February. After picking up for nine times, we have to keep them to be right to take chilli species. Each acre of chilli can produce 5,000 visses. Last year, we could not pick much of chilli because of less demand from the chilli traders. This year, we pick up the chilli continuously and are earning the double price,” said Daw Aye Kyu Khaing, a local grower from Yedwingone village.
The traders collect the right chilli from Yedwingone village and put them into the bag (which can contain 25 visses of chilli). Then, they loaded the chilli bags onto the trucks to send them to Rakhine State. The truck charges were K5,500 per bag last year. This year, the tuck charges cost K65,000 per bag.
“This year, the chilli yield is high in Yedwingone village while the yield in other villages dropped one-third of chilli production. Although this is COVID-19 period, the local growers are sending chilli daily to Rakhine State. They are sending 50 or 150 bags of chilli depending upon the demand of the traders. The price of chilli dropped when there is high supply. Now, we could create 15 job opportunities for the local villagers,” said Daw Sein Mya, a local trader from Ywar Thar village, Minbu town. The villagers from Yedwingone are growing the chilli with their own seeds. We irrigate water two or three times per month. So, they have dug the ground down to 4 inches. The local people are growing Kyauk Sein chilli annually because these species yield highly and the farmers are earning good profit, according to local Chili growers.
Zayyatu (Magway) (Translated by Hay Mar)
