From the borderland of Ferozepur to international trading hubs in Dubai, the green chillies produced by a group of local farmers have hit the global market for the first time, redefining the farm economy in the state.In this regard, the first consignment of 15 metric tonnes of green chilli was recently flagged off by Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, marking a much needed shift towards high value sustainable farming in the region.While talking to The Tribune, DC Deepshikha Sharma said that Ferozepur’s entry into export market was an outcome of a sequenced institution-led export framework where policy alignment, field validation and market linkage were built step by step, culminating in sending the first consignment to Dubai two days ago.“The process was anchored by District Level Export Promotion Committee (DLEPC), which convened focused meetings with Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) to formally position chilli as a priority export product for Ferozepur earlier identified under the One District One Product (ODOP) programme.“This adoption served as policy trigger that aligned various departments around export readiness covering quality standards, aggregation protocols, logistic planning and market access” said Sharma, adding that the effort lead to tie-ups with exporters for assured off-take, price discovery, and compliance with international specifications.Earlier, this border district had emerged as one of the largest producer of chillies not only in the state but also in the country. Today, the chillies are grown over 19,661 hectares in Punjab, yielding around 2,94,915 metric tonnes annually, out of which Ferozepur alone accounts for cultivation on more than 2,747 hectares, the highest in the state, providing direct employment to over 20,000 people and indirect livelihood to more than 45,000.The DC said that to de-risk export entry, the district adopted a “pilot-to-scale” approach and selected plots for sample cultivation under controlled agronomic practices, adding that these samples were grown with a focus on uniform size, colour, moisture content, and low residue levels, aligning with export quality requirements.“The product was then tested, graded, and matched with buyer specifications before moving to bulk aggregation-ensuring that the first export consignment would meet international benchmarks,” said the DC. Over and above the fields visits by teams from Department of Science and Technology enabled on ground problem solving while large scale mobilisation under GRIP 3.0 (Grassroot Innovator Programme) institutionalised farmer’s led innovation improving productivity, and enhancing quality consistency.Shamsher Singh, one of the chilli growers and member of Saragarhi Farmers Producer Company, which signed the MoU with Dubai-based company KS Exports, said that it has marked a new beginning for farmers in the region aiming to connect directly with global markets. “The export initiative is expected to open new avenues for local farmers, offering them improved pricing and reduced dependence on conventional mandi systems,” said Shamsher.Balwinder Singh, another farmer said that the Dubai shipment represents first successful execution of this integrated framework where farmers aggregation through FPOs, scientific cultivation practices and policy backing converged seamlessly. “Initially, ‘Gauri’ variety of chillies will be exported due to its high demand in Middle Eastern markets like the UAE and Oman, followed by more varieties,” he added.Sandhwan said that the entry of Punjab’s chillies into international markets would provide a major boost to chilli growers and encourage other farmers to take up its cultivation, ultimately strengthening the economic condition of farmers.