Heavy rains ravage ginger crop in Sirmaur, losses pegged at Rs 24 cr

Excessive rainfall over the past two months has dealt a severe blow to ginger cultivators in Sirmaur district, leaving farmers reeling under heavy losses. The prolonged moisture created ideal conditions for the spread of rhizome rot, a destructive disease that has wiped out nearly 25 per cent of the district’s ginger crop.

According to the Agriculture Department’s preliminary estimates, the loss has been pegged at Rs 24.5 crore. Officials said ginger was cultivated on about 1,867 hectares in Sirmaur, with an average annual production of 1.96 lakh quintals. In a normal year, this cash crop generates trade worth nearly Rs 100 crore for local farmers.

This season, however, the outbreak of rhizome rot has left many farmers devastated. Agriculture Deputy Director Dr Raj Kumar confirmed that widespread damage has been reported from several villages, particularly in the Shillai and Shri Renukaji Assembly constituencies. “Excessive rains triggered disease conditions in ginger fields, leading to significant rotting of rhizomes. Our field reports suggest a 25 per cent loss and the matter has been reported to higher authorities,” he said.

Farmers in the affected areas are struggling to cope with the setback. Ramesh Kumar, a farmer from Shillai, said his fields have suffered losses he has never witnessed before. “I have been growing ginger for 15 years, but this year the crop has almost collapsed. Nearly half of what I sowed has rotted underground. We had high hopes from the market prices, but now we are staring at debt,” he said.

Women farmers, who also contribute significantly to ginger cultivation, echoed similar concerns. Kamla Devi from Renukaji area described the impact on her family’s livelihood. “Our household depends on ginger sales every season. This year, the disease destroyed a major portion of the crop. The cost of seed, fertiliser and labour has already been spent and now we are left with nothing. The government support is the only hope for small farmers like us,” she said.

Ginger cultivation in Sirmaur once enjoyed global recognition. During the 1980s, the district’s high-quality produce was in demand across India and even abroad in its dried form, popularly known as saunth. While large-scale production has gradually declined, farmers in Sarahan and Rajgarh areas of Pachhad constituency, parts of Nahan and Sain Dhar, besides pockets of Shillai and Shri Renukaji, continue to grow the crop on a significant scale.

Despite the crop’s shrinking footprint, ginger still covers more than 1,800 hectares in Sirmaur. But rising challenges — falling market prices, absence of a minimum support price and recurring disease outbreaks — have steadily discouraged cultivators. Prices in major wholesale markets reflected sharp fluctuations in recent weeks, with ginger selling between Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 7,000 per quintal last week, now dipping to Rs. 3,500-Rs. 4,500 per quintal. In open retail markets, however, rates have soared beyond Rs 10,000 per quintal, highlighting a glaring disparity.