IMPHAL: After a hiatus of four years, Manipur is all set to host the ’13th Sirarakhong Hathei Chilli Festival, 2024′ on August 29 and 30.
The two-day festival will be held at Sirarakhong village in Ukhrul district.
The festival aims to promote the indigenous Hathei chilli variety, known for its rich flavour and unique characteristics. The Sirarakhong Hathei festival serves as a platform to showcase and celebrate the unique chilli variety of the state.
Sirarakhong Hathei received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2021, officially recognizing its originality and uniqueness.
Sirarakhong village chairman V Ningkhan Zimik highlighted that the celebration of the festival had been halted for four years due to various reasons.
“The festival was put on hold in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides, the rectification of the chilli’s GI tagged nomenclature took longer than expected and also impacted the celebration,” he said.
The name in the GI tag had been corrected from “Hathei-Chilli, Manipur” to “Sirarakhong Hathei”, ensuring the proper recognition of the chilli’s origin as per the aspirations of the villagers.
The village’s annual chili production, which typically reaches 30 tonnes, has dropped significantly to between 20 and 25 tonnes this year.
Zimik said, “Although we are unable to export chilli as per the demand, but the current production quantity is enough for the state.”
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Nimyui Zimik, chairman of Sirarakhong Hathei Promotion Committee, said that the Manipur Organic Mission Agency (MOMA) played a big role in getting the GI tag for Sirarakhong chilli.
The Sirarakhong Hathei has gained wide recognition, becoming a key source of income for the 300 households in the village who primarily cultivate this unique chilli variety.
