Ukhrul’s famous Sirarakhong chilli is under threat, and farmers are worried

Ukhrul: The famous and unique Sirarakhong Hathei is native to Ukhrul’s Sirarakhong village in Manipur, located around 67 km from Imphal city. The Hathei (chilli), known for its unique taste and stark red appearance, has become an integral part of the village’s 300 households, generating significant revenue and supporting family expenses.

This Hathei, which grows up to 13 inches in length and produces as many as 350 chillies from a single plant, is rich in vitamin C, calcium, and protein, making it highly sought after in the state and beyond.

According to locals, this year, the total production of Hathei is estimated to be between 25,000 and 30,000 kg.

For the Sirarakhong villagers, the Hathei is not just a mere crop but a symbol of their rich heritage and a testament to their hard work. However, over the past few years, the villagers have been experiencing frequent pest attacks on the crop, raising concerns about the environmental impact.

Speaking to EastMojo, Ningkhan Zimik, chairman of Sirarakhong village, said that the locals have been practising the traditional method of farming for both rice and Hathei plantations. However, such endemics were unknown to them until the last few years.

According to Zimik, the ancestors used the Hathei in a very special way not for commercial purposes but as a staple food for the family, and the crop continues to be special even today, as the Hathei provides them with a sustainable livelihood.

“They (ancestors) never threw away the leftover Hathei (chilli) openly but would wrap it properly with a leaf and put it in a garden where country chickens could not eat it. This way, each family would consume just enough of the chilli for the year, without any wastage,” said Zimik.

Amid the emergence of science and technology in the agriculture sector, Zimik said that the village is committed to safeguarding and preserving the traditional techniques passed down through generations.

In the olden days, their forefathers normally chose a place to cultivate the Hathei near the area where rice would be planted, which, Zimik said, was the most suitable place for Hathei to thrive. Hathei plantation was done before any other crops were planted for the year. This practice has been passed down through generations, and the local farmers continue to follow the same pattern of plantation.

Invoking blessings from Ameowo:

Before the arrival of Christianity, when the Hathei turned a deep red and was ready for harvest, a Shaman would visit the field (unseen by others) and perform rituals to Ameowo (ancestor god). Later, he would make a place called Chang to dry the harvested Hathei. Prior to the ritual performed by a Shaman, no villagers were allowed to make their own Chang and harvest the Hathei. The same rituals were performed during the rice harvest season.

According to Zimik, after converting to Christianity, the Shaman rituals came to an end. For sustainability, villagers continue the Hathei cultivation in addition to other vegetables such as potatoes and beans.

“We plant the crop seasonally, and the farmers are kept busy throughout the year,” said Zimik.

The village chairman also informed that, unlike the olden days when each household planted its chilli to last for a year, with the growing popularity and demand for Hathei among people from various sectors, Hathei growers have started chilli cultivation on a larger scale for selling, investing Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh annually.

“Our village is blessed with many resources like Sirarakhong hathei, king chilli, and potatoes to earn and make a profit for our livelihoods. However, over the years, with erratic and long spells of rainfall, large quantities of crops, including Hathei, are getting rotten and infested by worms and insects before they are ripe for harvest,” said Zimik.

Farmers worried about environmental impact:

During the visit to Sirarakhong village, this correspondent visited one of the farms, around 5 km from the local residential area, and interacted with some farmers to understand their way of farming and its challenges. During our stay, we also noticed that each farmer began their farm work with a prayer, highlighting their deep-rooted faith in the Creator.

According to Humila, 70, who has been into Hathei farming for over two decades, the chilli disease was first noticed 6-7 years ago; however, this year, crop failure was at its worst and most severe, likely due to the extended rainfall leading to the Hathei rotting sooner.

“This year, we witnessed three different types of disease. The first instance is the plant yielding a high yield of chillies, yet they dry up/burn on the plant itself before the harvest. In another case, the disease attacks the root first, and slowly the whole plant rots. Similarly, the disease attacks only the chilli, causing it to fall off and rot before it turns red for harvest,” said a septuagenarian Hathei grower during our visit to one of the farms.

Rachel, 70, another farmer, also expressed concern over the rampant attacks on standing crops by an unknown disease and urged the concerned departments to address the growing crop failures in the region. Like her, many farmers had expanded their farm area, aiming for a surplus yield. However, many have suffered huge losses due to long spells of rain in the region.

“I have already harvested around 130 kg of dry chillies this year and have lost over 50 kg of Hathei due to the disease,” lamented Rachel.

However, Kaphungwon Ramsan, a first-time Hathei (chilli) grower who has spread her crop over two and a half acres, is optimistic for an abundant yield as the crop disease has yet to spread widely on her farm.

“I heard many farmers have suffered hugely due to the pest attacks on standing crops, including chillies. But fortunately, I have not noticed much disease on my farm. So far, I have harvested 200 kg of dry chillies and expect another 100 kg if the plant disease doesn’t spread,” said Ramsan.

Ramsan also said the villagers have already submitted chilli samples (rotten and dried) to the horticulture department for further research on the crop damage.

Such crop diseases, especially affecting Hathei, were unknown to our ancestors, she added.

Experts point to fungi issue

During an interaction with Sirarakhong Hathei growers, Dr. Star Luikham, a plant pathologist, suspected anthracnose and wilting caused by fungi. Dr. Luikham is currently serving as an assistant professor at FGI College of Agricultural Sciences (CAS) in Hengbung, Kangpokpi district.

“Among the diseases, there is one spread by an insect called whitefly, which serves as the vector for spreading the disease known as chilli leaf curl. By interacting with them, I found out that they are facing these problems, but for a final result or confirmation, we have to go for a field visit and testing in the laboratory,” said Dr. Luikham.

To prevent such crop damage, the plant pathologist further said that farmers must follow certain steps from the nursery or sowing and ploughing seasons as precautionary measures.

“This anthracnose, a soil-borne disease, is caused by the stagnation of water in the main field or nursery, and by providing proper drainage and using light soil or light-textured soil, they can cope with this disease. This disease is mainly caused by warm, humid conditions so they should check humidity levels before transplanting the saplings,” explained Dr. Luikham.

Luikham opined that the heavy rainfall in the region not only contributes to crop damage but also causes more diseases as fungi are more sensitive to pathogens.

The favourable condition for germination or disease development could be rainfall, and this is likely one of the causes of the problem being faced by farmers, he added.

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