Upset over the sudden drop in the procurement price of red chilli, several distraught farmers staged a protest in front of the agricultural market yard in Khammam on Friday demanding remunerative price for their produce.
The trading opened on an optimistic note at the chilli yard with the traders announcing a price of ₹20,800 per quintal of red chilli.
However, they reportedly purchased the commodity at a price of ₹14,000 to ₹16,000 per quintal triggering protests by several farmers, sources said.
The aggrieved farmers staged a sit-in at the entrance of the market yard in protest against what they termed as “exploitative tactics” of some errant traders to deprive them of remunerative prices for their chilli produce on one pretext or the other.
The officials of the Agricultural Marketing Department intervened to resolve the grievances of the distraught farmers. The police have tightened security at the market yard to prevent untoward incidents.
