State-of-the-art chilli development centre to come up at Ferozepur

In order to give impetus to the cross diversification in the border district, which has emerged as one of the biggest vegetable producer in the state, a chilli development centre is being set up under NITI Aayog’s Aspirational District Programme at cost of Rs 59 lakh.

Sharing details, DC Deepshikha Sharma said the centre would revolutionise the district’s burgeoning chilli cultivation sector, which had seen remarkable growth from 805 hectares in 2017-18 to 2,732 hectares in 2024-25.

“This initiative represents a significant step to enhance farmers’ income and agricultural productivity here,” said the DC, adding that the centre would provide comprehensive support to farmers under a roof, strengthening the entire value chain of chilli production in the region. As per information, this district which has been the leading producer of chilli in the state, has been adopted under ‘One District, One Product’ (ODOP) programme.

The DC said Ferozepur was particularly suited for horticultural development, with 19,233 hectares dedicated to horticultural crops out of its total net sown area of 2,04,000 hectares. It includes 1,119 hectares under fruit crops, 16,429 hectares under vegetables, 56 hectares under flowers, and 1,629 hectares under spices and aromatic crops.

Horticulture Officer Simran Singh said they had been actively promoting crop diversification over the past five years, encouraging farmers to shift from traditional wheat cultivation to other cash crops.

The official said chilli cultivation had emerged as water-efficient alternative, with its October-to-July crop cycle allowing for short-duration rice varieties in the following the kharif season. He said the centre would offer cultivation techniques and expert guidance, besides quality seeds and input support services with direct market linkage opportunities.