Jammu: The unprecedented fall in the prices of cauliflowers has turned into a nightmare for the farmers of Arnia in Jammu. They are anguished over the sudden turn of a lucrative harvest into a financial crisis as, unable to recover the cost, most of the cultivators are compelled to feed the cauliflowers to the livestock or stare at their gradual wilting.
About a week ago, cauliflowers fetched a steady Rs 10 per kilo in local markets, which aided the farmers of the border districts of RS Pura to eke out a living. But the nosediving of the price to just Rs 2 a kilo has turned their world upside down, leaving no alternative but to either let the crop rot or feed them to the livestock. The price is not enough to recover the farming cost.
"We nurtured these crops like our children. But we are heartbroken now. Selling cauliflowers at ₹2 per kg means spending more on harvesting and transport than earning. Feeding it to animals feels cruel, but what choice do we have?," said Jeet Raj, a third-generation farmer in Arnia.
Ironically, Arnia’s cauliflower fields are at their peak, filling the air with the signature earthy aroma. Yet, the sight of tractors hauling loads of cauliflower to dairy farms instead of markets paints a sorrowful picture.
Local trader Rajesh Kumar explains, "The supply far exceeds demand this season. Traders aren't buying and cold storage is unaffordable for small farmers."
Many farmers borrowed large sums to cultivate cauliflower, banking on its usual profitability. Now, with no safety nets or government intervention in sight, fears of a debt spiral loom large.
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