Introduction of Chilli

Chilli is one among the foremost important money crops fully grown in Ceylon. it's become an important ingredient in Sri Lankan meals. Percapita consumption of chilli within the variety of dry chilli is calculable a pair of.32 weight unit each year and also the national annual demand of dry chili  is near by 42,634 mt. The yearly production of dry chilli is regarding 18,616 Mt, therefore, AN quantity of 31,242 Mt is to be foreign (Year 2007 figures). chilli contributes on a median Rs.750 millions to value and creates employment of fourteen million work days annually. chilli is extensively fully grown for dry chilli production, however a part of the crop is harvested as green pods. the typical extent beneath chilli at the moment is around 14,083 ha, of that 2/3 is cultivated in Maha season.

Department of Agriculture has suggested five chilli varieties upto currently particularly MI-1, MI-2, KA-2, Arunalu and also the recently released variety MI-Hot. The potential yield of those varieties ar a pair of.5-3.0 t/ha, however the national average yields ar as poor as 0.75-1.0 t/ha. Such low yields ar principally because of high incidences of cuss and diseases, wet stress, use of inferior quality seeds, poor crop management and high input prices. the surpass price of production of dry chilli beneath present proliferation's Rs.65/kg of dry chilli.

A large extent beneath chilli is cultivated within the dry zone particularly in north central province and also the middle zone. At present, staggering chilli growing districts ar Hambantota,Vavuniya,Anuradhapura,Kurunegala,
Moneragala,Putthalama,Ampara,and Mahaweli System H. in step with the data received from the chilli farmers within the dry zone, the organic phenomenon stress condition principally leaf curl complicated (LCC) is that the main reason behind the lower extent of cultivation and also the poor yield levels reported in yala season. Water shortage and late water problems in yala season have caused severe incidence of cuss out breaks and subsequent crop losses.