Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. He has requested urgent implementation of the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) for red chillies in Karnataka. He demanded that the red chilli farmers of Karnataka should get the same level of support that their counterparts are receiving in Andhra Pradesh. He also requested Prime Minister Modi to increase MIP to Rs 13,500 per quintal from the current MIP of Rs 11,781. The cost of production for Guntur variety of Red Chillies (rain fed) has been assessed at Rs 12,675 per. quintal by the Karnataka Agricultural Price Commission. But farmers are forced to sell their produce at distress prices that go as low as Rs 8,300 per quintAL in markets like Sindhanur. This not only results in massive financial losses but also threatens their very survival, the CM noted. The Union Government must bear the full amount of the PDP to ensure fair compensation for farmers.