Chhindwara: The prices of vegetables in this district of Madhya Pradesh have dropped dramatically, bringing a new struggle for farmers to make ends meet.
Just days ago, a kilogram of tomatoes was selling for over Rs 200, but now, sellers offer them for as low as Rs 2 per kilogram in the presence of a few takers. Similarly, cauliflower prices also witnessed a steep fall as the wholesalers sold them for just 1 rupee per kilogram.
“It is a heartbreaking and distressing situation for us as we're forced to throw away our produce,” said farmer Kailash Pawar. “We have worked hard, invested our time, money, and effort into growing these vegetables, and now they seem worthless.”
Agriculture Market Inspector Anil Sulkhiya said the reason for the price crash was “surplus supply and low demand.” “Last year farmers planted more crops than usual, but consumption of these veggies remained the same," he said.
Sulkhiya claimed that unexpected weather changes also exacerbated the situation by reducing crop quality and infesting it with insects. “Because of this, tomatoes are being sold from Rs 50 to Rs 70 per crate of 20 to 25 kg,” he said.
Unseasonal rain has caused cauliflower flowers to bloom prematurely, which has reduced the quality of the produce and made it more difficult to sell, he said.
“The price of cauliflower is between Rs 1 and Rs 2 per kilo. Cauliflower and tomatoes are not being sold in the market, so the farmers are taking them to the cowshed and throwing them there,” Sulkhiya added.
When farmers struggle to sell their produce at extremely low prices, the same veggies are being sold at significantly higher costs in the retail market.
“While cabbage retails for 10 rupees per kilogram, tomatoes are marketed for 20 rupees per kilogram,” said Pawar. “This is double bad luck for farmers like us. We are losing produce; the common people are not getting relief.”
He termed the situation a vicious cycle and demanded strict measures to break it. “We are not sure whether we will ever recover from these losses.
Another farmer, wishing to remain anonymous, said that the government was not compensating them for the losses. “Despite going through a desperate situation, we are not getting enough help from the government. This brings us to a serious and uncertain situation," he said.
Amid the price crash, farmers appealed to the government to intervene to stabilise prices and provide relief to those affected.
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