After soyabean and oranges, chillies are adding to farmers' woes. Grown in patches across Vidarbha, the chilli crop is reported to have been hit by a virus. The infection may bring the yield down by almost 50%, say sources in the trade. Not only those in Vidarbha but even growers in Madhya Pradesh have been hit by the virus, where the crisis is reported to be worse. The Bhiwapur and Kuhi-Mandhal areas of Nagpur district are famous for their variety of chillies. Though it is also grown in small patches throughout the region. Sources in the trade say farmers in Bhiwapur near Umred may be able to tide over the crisis, as they have increased the area under the crop. However, those in Kuhi-Mandhal and other areas of the region may face substantial losses. Bhaskar Mahakular of Maregaon Tehsil in Yavatmal said his loss was abolsute and he had come to Delhi with samples of the crop to identity the virus strain through a DNA test. "I had sowed chillies on 10 acres. Normally the average yield comes to 10 quintals an acre, this time it may be negligible," he said. The crop was growing in Yavatmal-Chandrapur on about 5,000 hectares, he said. Subhan Usman, a trader in Bhiwapur, said the virus attack may bring crop down by 30% to 50%. This time the area under chilli cultivation has grown, so the impact may be absorbed. However, in Kuhi the losses are more. Another trader from Kuhi added that the area under chilli had actually come down as farmers here preferred cotton instead. An official in the state's agriculture department dealing with vegetable cultivation said there had been an attack of the churda-murda virus. Source - http://www.nyoooz.com