CHILLI crop which suffered 70 per cent loss during last year’s devastating floods in lower Sindh faces another setback this year due to acute water shortage.

The crop may drop by 50 per cent if water situation does not improve, says Mian Saleem, chairman Red Chilli Growers Association.

Sindh, on average producing 110,000 maunds of quality red chilli per annum, does not only meet the needs of domestic consumers but also earns sizable foreign exchange from its exports to the US, Saudi Arabia, Dubai Bahrain, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and other states.

Europe, however, stopped its import from Pakistan a few years back after detection of a virus Aflatoxin in the commodity. A Rs220 million plant to treat chilli against the virus was inaugurated two years ago by the then federal minister for agriculture but later it became a victim of bureaucratic snags and lack of funds.

According to growers, the present crop was getting water after every 21 days against a normal supply after 8-10 days. This has affected the plant growth.

Chilli has been sown on 40 per cent of the normal cultivation area due to shortage of water which is incidentally situated at the tail-end of the irrigation system from Kotri and Sukkar Barrage. Growers fear production of crop would drop by 50 per cent if water supply does not normalise. This would aggravate the losses suffered by them during the calamity last year.

The main chilli growing areas are Kunri, Umerkot, Naukot, Jhudo, Mirpurkhas, Kot Ghulam Mohammad, Degree and Tando Jan Mohammad.

On strong representation by the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture at a meeting held at the residence of minister of irrigation in Karachi, the latter assured growers that water would be released in 10 days in the tail-end canals and distributaries. He also assured the growers of 70-80 per cent of water for their Kharif crops within a week.

The issue of de-silting of drains in the area was also discussed and it was decided that Secretary Irrigation would visit the area along with a chamber team this week to review progress on the work and take measures for clearance of drains ahead of the coming monsoon in July.

The drains, which drain out waste water to the sea, at present are encroached by illegal structures.

Sindh Chamber President Nadeem Qamar informed the minister about the slow progress on repair of breeches caused during last year’s floods, and strengthening of embankments along the Right Bank Outfall Drain (RBOD).

Following the almost total destruction of chilli crop last year, India not only captured the export market dominated by Pakistan but also supplied poor quality chilli in large quantities to local markets through Wagha Border. Pakistan lost export of 10,000 maunds of red chilli worth millions of dollars.

After the crop damage, red chilli rates in the main Kunari market near Mirpurkhas jumped to Rs22,000 per maund from Rs10,000. The Indian chilli, however, did not get the prevailing price of Rs10,000 per maund due to its poor quality and the rates came down to Rs4,500 per maund.

Mian Saleem said Indians were dominating the chilli export markets as well the local market and would continue to do so until a better the new crop came in. He urged the Sindh government to support the growers by ordering regular supply of water and help them regain the export market.

The growers complained that unlike major crop like wheat wherein the provincial government provided subsidy in the form of seeds and fertiliser, chilli growers were ignored. The association, during a meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari in Karachi, had demanded interest-free loans for two years to buy seeds and fertiliser and implements washed away in floods, to grow their crops afresh. However, nothing has happened despite promises.

The crop losses from last year’s devastating rains were high and much lower quantities of chilli landed in main Kunri market against a normal supply of over 110,000 maunds, said a chilli trader M Saleem from Mirpurkhas.