BENGALURU, 11 MARCH

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has reached out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, advocating for the implementation of the Price Deficiency Payment (PDP) scheme under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) for red chillies in the state. In a letter dated 10 March, he expressed grave concern for the red chilli farmers in Karnataka, particularly in the Kalyana Karnataka region, who are grappling with an unprecedented crisis due to plummeting market prices.

Siddaramaiah noted that while the Government of India has granted approval for the PDP scheme for the Guntur variety of red chillies in Andhra Pradesh—setting the Minimum Intervention Price (MIP) at Rs 11,781 per quintal—Karnataka farmers are still in distress. He highlighted that the production cost for rain-fed Guntur variety chillies has been assessed at Rs 12,675 per quintal, yet farmers are compelled to sell their produce for as little as Rs 8,300 per quintal in markets like Sindhanur.

Emphasising that Kalyana Karnataka is one of the most backward and drought-prone regions, he warned that ignoring the farmers' plight would worsen their economic distress. Consequently, he called on the Union Government to extend the PDP scheme to Karnataka and suggested increasing the MIP to Rs 13,500 per quintal, expanding coverage to at least 75 per cent of production.

Siddaramaiah also urged the Centre to shoulder the full financial burden of the price deficiency payment, stressing that fair compensation is essential for the welfare of farmers across India.