KUNRI, known as the city of red chillies, is located in Umerkot district and plays a vital role in the national economy by providing a key ingredient both for consumption in the local market and exports to international markets. But things are far from ideal as far as life in Kunri is concerned.

Kunri’s economy is mostly based on agriculture. The region produces red chillies over approximately 88,000 acres of land, but it is also known for cotton, sunflower, sugarcane and ‘sindhri’ mangoes. The last monsoon rains, heavy as they were, had caused a lot of damage to the crops due to which seeds of good quality were not available for this season, drastically decreasing the yield of the chilli crop this year.

According to estimates, Kunri produces 80 per cent of the country’s chilli crop. The cultivation of this major cash crop has been down by 50pc this year in Kunri alone. Due to shortage of irrigation water in the traditional channels, the overall production of red chillies has been below par in the current season, sending the price in an upward spiral.

By Muhammad Nasir Iqbal
Kunri

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2021