Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Apr 7 (IANS): Ever thought of having a green chilli powder on your dining table?

This is all set to become a reality because the Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR) of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi has now developed a technology of making powder of green chilli which will be launched in the market soon.

Till now only red chilli powder was easily available in the market whereas green chilli powder, of its own natural colour of green chilli is not.

The IIVR has got this technique patented in its name and is all set for the market launch of the product.

The institute has signed a memorandum of understanding with a Himachal Pradesh-based firm.

IIVR Director Tusar Kanti Behera, said the institute has inked an agreement with a Una (Himachal Pradesh)-based company for the production of green chilli powder.

"The institute is promoting the public-private partnership to take its advanced technologies to the beneficiaries. According to the agreement, the IIVR will transfer the technology to the company to produce the green chilli powder and make it available in the market," he added.

According to him, the green chilli powder prepared by this technology also contains more than 30 per cent vitamin C, 94-95 per cent chlorophyll and 65-70 per cent capsin and thus prepared green chilli powder can be stored safely for several months at normal temperature.

The IIVR Director said he had discussed its quality standards and marketing with the company's representative Yashoda Nand Gupta.

The institute has also connected the farmers of eastern Uttar Pradesh with the company, so that the green chillies produced in this area can be directly purchased by this company.

This will increase the demand for the produce of the farmers and fetch a fair price, which will increase their income.