African Chilies
Production and exports of East African chillies have fluctuated erratically throughout the twentieth century. During the period 1920-45, the average annual total exports of the producing countries was of the order of 400 tonnes, but the total exports for individual years ranged between 100 and ‘1 200 tonnes.
These semi-wild crop, the extent of which in any year was dependent upon the market price. Since the end of the Second World War, cycles of growth and decline in production have been experienced in each of these coun- tries, though at somewhat different rates.
The major trend in the more recent period compared with the first half of the century has been a decline in production in Uganda, traditionally the major exporter, and a spasmodic growth in production levels in Kenya and Tanzania.
Estimation of the total area covered by the crop in India during the first half of the twentieth century was difficult since the plants were commonly grown bordering fields, or in lines through fields. Only in eastern and northern Bengal were chillies and capsicums grown extensively as field crops.
Ugandan exports were 880 tonnes in 1910, falling thereafter with minima of 260 tonnes in 1914 and 1920. In 1918, the Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture held the view that ‘prices fluctuate too much to make it [chillies] a crop of first class importance.’ However, a notable short-lived increase in production took place following the removal of export duty in 1922 and about 1 000 tonnes of chillies were exported in 1923 and 1924.
In spite of the loss of some important growing areas upon the partition of British India in 1947, India remained the world’s largest producer of capsicums and chillies. By 1949-50, the total area under the crop was 448 700 ha. By 1954-64, this area had risen to an annual average of 610 000 ha, yielding on average 362 500 tonnes per annum. It is of interest that during this period exports never exceeded 3 per cent of total production, which is the domestic nature of the crop. In 1967-8, the total area under the crop had risen to about 665 600 ha, yielding 403 000 tonnes, and a further rise brought the average area over the period 1970-1 to 1974-5 to about 733 400 ha and the average output to 474 600 tonnes.
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