Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Regional Agriculture Research Station, Lam, Guntur-522 034, Andhra Pradesh.
The present study, carried out in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, has estimated the additional investment involved in value-addition of chillies to produce a high quality economic product. The farmers have been found investing an additional amount of about Rs 1500/q at several stages of postharvest processing with the main objectives of realizing a better and profitable price. The study has revealed that the crucial processing stages of additional investment for chillies are drying, grading, packing, storage and processing. Keeping produce in the cold storage has been found a common practice in and around Guntur district of Andhra district and it could fetch a premium price ranging from Rs 2500/q to Rs 8800/q during the year 2006–07.
