Manageable-scale chilli growers earn extra income in Pakokku

Manageable-scale chilli growers from Kyauk-U village, Pakokku township, Magawe region are earning extra income annually, according to the local growers from that village.
“Our family grows 0.80 acres of chilli on a management scale. It has been raised for seven years. Our villagers and the villagers from a nearby village are growing the seeds to get the nursery plants. After one month, we can start developing the chilli with the necessary plant. There are many chilli species such as India species, Moe Hmaw (or) Moe Htaung and Auk Swe Thi. The chilli plants like the cold weather and the farmers started to grow over 2,000 nursery plants in December 2020. Then, they began to pick up the chilli in February 2021. If we can put the fertilizer to the plants, the chilli can be picked up for the whole year, said U Khin Aung, a local chilli grower from Kyauk-U village.
He also added that the fresh chilli was sold for over K1,000 per viss last year. If the fresh chilli could not earn a high price, we dried them. The cost of the dried chillies ranges from K3,000 to K4,000 per viss. Last year, we sold the whole chilli plantation for K1.2 million. It could make a profit of K700,000 because the cost of cultivation of chilli was only K 500,000.
This year, the fresh chillies are offered at a low price. So, we have made all the picked fresh chillies the dried ones. If we grow one acre of chilli, we have to hire about 20 labourers. There are about 10 acres of chilli fields in our village, said U Khin Aung. —Salai Ko Key (IPRD) (Translated by HM)