Flower growers dump marigold crop in pits, open fields

Hundreds of cultivators face monetary losses, seek waiver of loans taken under KCC

QUOTE

On an average, cultivators used to earn Rs1,500 to Rs 2,500 per day during the season. Now, there is no option but to destroy the crop. This year, the yield was good but the hopes of farmers are dashed by the Covid ourbreak.— Rohit Choudhary, social workers, Jammu

Sumit Hakhoo

Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 15

Flower growers in the RS Pura sector near the International Border (IB) with Pakistan are dumping their marigold crop in pits and open field as there are no buyers. With the long shutdown to contain the Covid pandemic spread leading to closure of every sector in Jammu and Kashmir, there is no demand.

According to farmers, the area which is famous for producing exotic varieties of basmati, due to good returns, cultivators have been investing in cultivating marigold, a cash crop before farmland is ploughed for sowing paddy saplings.

However this year, nearly 500 farmers in the area are facing huge financial losses and several of them have taken loans under the Kissan Credit Cards (KCC).

“The crop is ready but there are no buyers as everything is closed. We have left with no option but to dump the produce. It is of no use to public nor is it a consumable commodity. The entire belt is suffering huge financial loss”, said Sukhvinder Singh, a farmer at RS Pura.

As per the cultivators, the marigold variety has huge demand. They are important component of religious rituals and marriage functions.

“On an average, the cultivators used to earn Rs1,500 to Rs. 2,500 per day during the season. Now, there is no option but to destroy the crop. This year, the yield was good but the hopes of farmers are dashed by the Covid ourbreak ”, said Rohit Choudhary, social workers and an RTI activist in Jammu.

Although the government has started the transfer of Rs 2,000 each in the accounts of marginal and small farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Yojana, with the continued shutdown, this meagre amount is not enough to meet the requirements of families who are solely dependent on cultivation.