Sambalpur: Special plans are afoot for the benefit of Kuchinda chilli farmers in this district to help them increase their income by increasing the chilli supply to firms outside of the state, a report said. This was stated here by ex-Collector Dibyajyoti Parida while speaking to mediapersons. This assumes significance as the Spices Board of India (SBI) in a report found the quality of Kuchinda chilli as the best in the country. The report by SBI has soared hopes on obtaining Geographical Indication (GI) tag for the famous Kuchinda chilli.
The district administration here has initiated steps to get the recognition for Kuchinda red chilli, popularly known as ‘Bamra chilli’. The chilli has earned a distinct identity like Guntur chilli over the years. Earlier, traders from across the country camped at Kuchinda to procure the chilli, but lack of promotion and marketing facilities is forcing farmers to opt out of cultivation. The SBI conducted an examination of the Kuchinda chilli in two phases from September, 2021 and found the colour and pungency of Kuchinda chilli to be far more superior to many other chillies with the GI tag in India.
The chilli specific to the Kuchinda region of this Western-Odisha district is very hot in nature and is cultivated by the local farmers as a cash crop. Though the locals and farmers have been demanding a GI tag for the spice since years, it could not be materialised owing to alleged administrative apathy. The report was published after the ORMAS (Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society) sent some samples to the lab for quality testing. The GI tag when received will help the farmers export their produce to outside of the country and help the Kuchinda chilli earn a name. The Collector said that apart from chilli, the ginger, litchi and mangoes cultivated in Kuchinda region are of superior quality for which they have a high market demand.
The district administration has initiated steps to provide seeds to the farmers for cultivation and help them in procurement. The cultivated chilli are procured from the farmers by the regulated market committees (RMC) and women self-help groups (SHGs) and transported outside for sale to various firms, he said. The quantity of chilli collected from the farmers will be increased in coming days for which talks are on with various firms outside of the state. This will help the farmers in getting the right price for their harvest which will help them increase their income, the Collector said. A processing unit has been established at Kuchinda for preparation of chilli powder.
The unit is being operated by women self-help groups, the Collector added. Reports said that an IAS probationer Ashutosh Kulkarni posted in the district had applied for GI tag for Kuchinda chilli in September, 2021 which was then published in Orissa POST. The first report came out in February, 2021 while second report was published recently. In these two reports, the Kuchinda chilli has received favourable response from SBI. Sources said chilli cultivation is the mainstay of farmers in Kuchinda region with over 12,000 farmers engaged in the cultivation.
The cultivation is done over 7,845 hectare of land in both rabi and kharif seasons. They sell per quintal of chilli from Rs 3,000 to Rs 3,500. A chilli powder processing plant has been established in the region to make the farmers self-reliant and to increase the cultivable area for chilli. The chilli powder manufactured in this plant is sold Rs 15,000 per quintal. According to researchers, chilli cultivation became popular in Kuchinda in 1901 when the area was part of Bamanda (Deogarh) kingdom. The erratic and deficit rainfall in the region led the then king of Bamanda Basudev Sudhal Dev to substitute paddy crop with chilli cultivation to tide over farm crisis. It later proved to be a long term solution.