Chinese potato brought for sale in Chilla market
Marayur: After the Covid curbs were relaxed, ‘Chilla’ tribal market and auction organised by the forest department in Marayur became active again. The produce brought from the tribal colonies in Kanthalloor hilly areas are the major attraction in the auction.
The market opens on Thursdays in front of Marayur forest station. The market and auction were stopped for months following Covid outbreak. A sale crops worth Rs 3.49 lakh took place here in the previous two weeks.
This is the harvest season of ‘Kattukoorka’ (a wild variety of Chinese potato) which fetched a whopping price this time. One kilogram of the tuber fetched Rs 65. A total of 2045 kilograms of ‘Kattukoorka’ were sold last Thursday and 4462 kilograms were sold this Thursday.
The total sale of Koorka alone fetched Rs 2.14 lakh. The tuber worth Rs 50 lakh is sold every year. The tuber and gooseberry are brought from Nellipetti, Kuthukallu, Vengappara, Periyakudi, Kavakkudi and Kammalamkudi tribal colonies in Marayur panchayat.
Wild gooseberry also has huge demand. One kilogram of the berry was sold for Rs 20-32. About 2200 kilograms of wild gooseberries were brought for sale. Along with this, wild chillies, butter beans, guava, tree tomato, lemon, sweet potato, papaya and passion fruit were put for sale.
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