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Selling at Rs 2 per kg, growers destroy cauliflower crop

After getting good returns from cauliflower last year, farmer Gajan Singh from Swal village in Kapurthala had increased the area under the vegetable from 3 acres to 13 acres this season. But the expectations he had didn't turn out to...
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Labourer packs cauliflowers at a wholesale vegetable market in Jalandhar.Tribune photo:Malkiat Singh.
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After getting good returns from cauliflower last year, farmer Gajan Singh from Swal village in Kapurthala had increased the area under the vegetable from 3 acres to 13 acres this season. But the expectations he had didn't turn out to be the same. The cauliflower growers are merely getting Rs 2 per kg. While the retail price for the same is Rs 20.

Another grower Mohan Singh from Sultanpur Lodhi also ploughed two acres of his standing crop. Farmers are upset over low prices.

"Ki kariye? This is what we go through. There is no help from the government. Many farmers grew cauliflower this time thinking that they would gain from it. But everyone is destroying crops which is heartbreaking," a distressed Mohan Singh said.

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Both Mohan Singh and Gajan Singh said there was an input cost of Rs 20,000-Rs 25,000 per acre, including seed, labour cost, diesel, fertilisers, etc, and this time they were suffering huge losses. "There is no profit at all. It is sad that we are suffering like this," they rued.

Sukhjinder Singh had also grown cauliflower on five acres. "The labourers take Rs 1.5 per kg to harvest the crop and we are getting Re 1- Rs 2 per kg. So, every grower is thinking to plough back the crop instead of harvesting it," Singh told The Tribune.

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Farmer Balwinder Singh from Madala Channa village, Jalandhar, said he wanted to plough back the vegetable on his one acre, but it was difficult. "Apne hath naal laayi, kidda vadd daiye," an emotional Balwinder said.

Last year, around 500-hectare land was under cauliflower which was increased to more than 600 hectares this year. Horticulture Department officials said the production of cauliflower got increased and this led to farmers getting very low prices.

Also, the farmers who cultivated late variety were suffering more. Farmer Bakshish Singh also shared his  sentiments. "Farming is full of risk now. The government must to do something for us," he said.

Such situation arose two years ago as well when farmers had to destroy the vegetable. That time, same problem was with potato and tomato. Farmers feared that they might have had to dump potatoes on roads if they keep on getting Rs 4-Rs 6 per kg.

Farmer Lakhvir Bassi from Kala Sanghian had then cultivated potato on 35 acres of which 25 acres are on contract. “Looking at the prices, it seems I will not be able to pay money to landowner. “I think I will have to take more loan now," he had then said.

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