CHILLI PROBLEM – in Gross National Happiness

There was a shortage of chillies in Bhutan and hence prices of this daily spice were skyrocketing. To meet the crisis the Royal Government imported the item from next door neighbour India since it is a landlocked country and most of its imports comes from across the border for centuries. Common consumers are happy since they got a relief.

But the farmers of the country are raising a hue and cry. The import of green chilies coincided with farmers just starting their chili harvest. Farmers in some areas started to plant chilies early, hoping for enough of a supply by the end of February. But they lost an early batch to pests and disease in October and November. A farmer from Samtenling, Deepak Chhetri, said the decision will discourage the farmers who have been working hard and investing more to produce winter chilies. “Farmers will have enough chilies to supply in a few weeks. We have started harvesting.

But it will be difficult to sell now,” he said. He added that it is expensive to grow chilies organically because of high costs and high labour charges but that is the practice in the country. If we were allowed to use pesticides and chemicals, we would also be able to produce the spice as expected, he said. Growing chilies organically is challenging, as it takes time to start fruiting. There was a ban on importing Chilli and the government should have waited till mid next month. By that time, we will have an abundant supply, the farmers feel. Most farmers said the government encouraged them to grow winter chilies, only to discourage them in the end.

But officials from Regional Agricultural Marketing and Cooperatives (RAMCO) said chili was the third-highest cultivated vegetable in chili growing areas after beans and cabbage but the production was low this year. Infact, growing winter vegetables including chili is part of Gross National Happiness or GDP of the tiny kingdom. Winter vegetable Import was also a time-bound initiative to stabilize the price in the market. Farmers tried producing chilies early but failed. The import will be stopped when farmers start producing enough chilies by March, officials said.

Countering the officials’ stand farmers alleged that the price hike in chilies was because of the vendors. The vendors decided the rate for chilies at the source and in the market. There is no one monitoring, but we are blamed for the hike, they said. The farmers are angry for two reasons. The government for a few years now has been aggressively promoting winter vegetables and particularly chili due to its huge demand. They are worried the import is going to kill their chances of getting a good return on their investment. Braving continuing pandemic, the farmers somehow managed to grow chilies. Many of them took loans but they are suffering. The knee jerk reaction of the Government they say is like treating the symptoms and not the disease. The problem according to them is the middleman buying from them and supplying to the markets at exorbitant prices, not availability of locally grown chili.

The shortage has prompted some to import chillies illegally. Shopkeepers triple the price and sell them discreetly. The average Bhutanese buyer doesn’t care where the chillies come from. The authorities have to disseminate the results of tests carried out on imported chillies. When illegally imported chillies are caught midway, what happens to those on duty who failed to stop them at the entry gate? Perhaps it is this reason why not much is seized at the gate or fuelling more imports. Given the greater dividends against a small or no chance of getting caught, the business continues, the farmers said.

Source: Himalayan News Chronicle