Cons Chilly

I spend most of my time out at 1-291, Amar Singh Thanda in the Komararam area of Yellandu. This is where Cons Chilly operates from. If you have ever been around here during harvest time, you know the air gets thick with the smell of drying peppers. It makes you sneeze if you aren't used to it. My job involves a lot of sitting in the sun and checking the quality of the chilies we have gathered. We spread them out on big sheets to dry, and I have to watch the sky in case it looks like rain. If it pours, we have to scramble to cover everything up or it is a total loss. The bags are heavy, and moving them around the storehouse is back-breaking work. I don't use any big fancy machines for sorting, just basic screens and a lot of manual labor. My hands are usually stained and a bit stinging from the spice by the end of the shift. It is a small place, mostly just a shed and some open ground. We deal with local buyers and sometimes people from the city who want the real spicy stuff from Yellandu. It is not a glamorous business, and the dust gets everywhere, but it is what we do here in the Thanda. I usually wear an old scarf over my face to keep the spice out of my nose and throat.