Telangana: The 'Warangal Chapata Chilly' gets GI tagged

Hyderabad: The ‘Chapata Chilly’ of Warangal has become the 18th in Telangana to receive the geographical indication (GI) tag, and the first horticultural product to achieve the feat. The application for its GI registration was filed in 2022.

The application for the GI tag was filed by Thimmampet Chilly Farmer Producer Company Limited (FPO), and Janna Reddy Venkat Reddy Horticultural Research Station (JVR HRS), Malyal in Mahabubabad district, that works under the aegis of Sri Konda Laxman Telangana Horticultural University (SKLTGHU).

The Warangal chapata chilly belongs to the genus Capsicum under the Solanaceae family and annuum species. It is the main source of dry chilly for commerce, while its fresh fruits are used in pickle manufacturing.

Origin of the chilly variety

The farmers of some of the villages of Warangal district say that the Warangal chapata chilli has been in cultivation in the villages of Nagaram of Jammikunta mandal for more than 80 years, while some also claim that Nadikuda mandal could be its oldest source. Later its cultivation spread to the surrounding villages by sharing of seeds between relatives.

It is cultivated in the central Telangana agro climatic zone of India. It is a distinctive variety known for its unique characteristics, appearance and shape. Its pods have good moisture retention, and is low in brittleness upon drying. It is known for its brilliant red colour and negligible pungency in taste and smell.

The local soil and climate conditions play a crucial role in determining the quality of the chillies. These conditions ensure that the pods have good moisture retention and low brittleness when dried, making them suitable for export and processing.

“Chapata chilly is cultivated across 6,738 acres in Warangal, Hanamkonda, Mulugu, and Jayashankar Bhupalapalli districts. Around 10,951 tonne of this variety is produced every year. The GI tag will help 20,574 farmers in the region,” said Dr D Raji Reddy, vice chancellor of Sri Konda Laxman Telangana Horticultural University (SKLTGHU), in a statement to media on Wednesday, April 2.

Hoping that the GI tag will encourage more horticultural products to be filed for GI registration in the coming days, the vice-chancellor also mentioned that the GI registration for Balanagar custard apple and Armur turmeric were also being processed through SKLTGHU.

Subhajit Saha, GI practitioner and founder of Resolute4IP, who worked instrumentally to secure the GI tag with the legal and statutory compliances, said that the chilly farmers in Warangal could now market their produce at a higher price from the current Rs 300 per Kg, to Rs 450-500 per kg.

“Packaging and branding will play a big role in the marketing of this chilly, and we shall focus on the registration of authorised users and the producers, to reap the benefits through the GI registration,” he said.

The fruits of Warangal chapata chilly are bright red in colour, bold and thick-walled. The Warangal chapata chilly is also called “Tomato chilly” by the locals, as it has a blocky and tomato shaped appearance.

The Warangal Chapata chilly has been under cultivation in the villages of Nagaram of Jammikunta mandal and Nadikuda mandal for many generations. Later, it spread to the surrounding villages by sharing of seeds of the variety between the people.

Rajkumar Reddy. president of the FPO believes that this GI Tag is going to add more color to the lives of chilly farmers, by expanding their markets and export opportunities.

More on Warangal Chapata Chilly

The chilly variety is of three types characterised by its less pungency and high color traits.

Double patti: Thick-walled, blocky, with sunken bases and depressed apices, featuring surface corrugations.

Single patti: Round at the base with blunt or depressed apices.

Odalu: Round at the base with blunt/acute ends.

The chilly is renowned for its brilliant red colour and low pungency, making it ideal for use as a natural colouring agent in food and beverages. The oleoresin content of the Warangal chapata chilly is relatively high, ranging from 6.37% to 6.75%, making it a valuable source for oleoresin extraction.

Its colour values range from 134.1 to 149.1 ASTA units, making it one of the best substitutes for synthetic colourants in the food industry.

Known for its low pungency, the capsaicin content is quite low (0.02% to 0.04%), which results in a mild heat level of 3,100 to 6,500 Scoville Heat Units (SHU). This mild pungency makes it perfect for applications like pickle preparation.

Harvesting of Warangal chapata chilly requires less labour force, as it produces bold and fewer pods per plant with weak pedicle attachment. Most of the produce is harvested during the first harvest in February and March.

High demand in the international markets

There is ample scope for increasing the area of cultivation of Warangal chapata chilly, keeping in view the demand for export of oleoresin in USA, China, UK, Germany and European markets, due to a ban on the artificial colouring agents in those countries.

As the demand for natural pigments is growing, the demand for chilly in the world market is bound to increase. The fruits are picked when they turn bright red, after being dried to retain their colour.

The Warangal chapata chilly is mainly consumed as ground spice powder in various cuisines, and the fresh ripe fruits are used for the preparation of pickles.

The oleoresin industry currently has tied up with traders for the procurement of Warangal chapata chilly.

The oil extraction from the chilly for oleoresin is being used in the food and beverage, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries, and as a dye in the textile industry.

“If the best quality product with high colour (Capsanthin) is made viable through better practices, it will be a boon to the growers and traders of Warangal chapata chilly. Ultimately it will be in the interest of the farmers that through better post-harvest practices, yield as well as the colour value of the chilly can be increased,” opined Professor Suresh, SKTGHU.

According to him, Warangal chapata chilly is found to have higher prospects in the international market, as its area and productivity has been on the decline in the European countries, even as the demand for paprika has been increasing there.

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