Growers suffer as veggie rates crash

Tribune News Service

Parvesh Sharma

Sangrur, April 20

The crashing of prices of various vegetables due to higher yield and lack of proper market has caused heavy losses to growers. There is big difference in wholesale and retail prices and in the absence of any government check, growers are feeling robbed and many are planning to return to wheat-paddy cycle.

“I have sold capsicum at Rs 2 per kg in the wholesale market here this morning. But it’s being sold in the retail market in same city at Rs 20 per kg. The government authorities have failed to devise a mechanism to ensure proper price to farmers,” said Angad Singh, a farmer.

Storage costly, can’t afford it

We do not opt for storage of vegetables because we cannot pay the transportation charges of our produce to the store. —Mukhtiar Singh, Veggie grower

Some senior officers of the Horticulture Department said the improvement in the quality of seeds and favourable weather conditions had resulted in the increase of the production of vegetables this year.

“The cold weather has helped in improving the production of various vegetables and that’s the reason we are getting ample vegetables on lower rates,” said Assistant Director of Horticulture Hardeep Singh.

The difference in rates of wholesale and retail markets are enough to assess that how the growers are being compelled to sell their vegetables on lower rates. Middlemen are getting good profit by selling these on higher rates in the retail market.

The wholesale price of pumpkin is Rs 5 per kg, but in retail its Rs 25 per kg, ladyfinger is available at Rs 25 per kg in wholesale, but in retail its being sold at Rs 55 per kg, cauliflower’s wholesale rate is Rs 10 per kg, but in retail it’s Rs 25 per kg.

“If the government wants to promote diversification, it should take effective steps to provide market to vegetable growers,” said Jagtar Singh, another grower.

The vegetable production has increased despite many growers suffering losses due to recent rain and hailstorm. Official figures show that in Malerkotla, rain has damaged vegetables on 1,095 hectares. In Sangrur, rain and hailstorm have damaged vegetables on 2,142 hectares.

“I could not keep vegetables in cold stores as it will hike the input cost and buyer will not pay for it. There are many vegetables, which cannot be stored for long time,” said Pal Singh, a local.

“We don’t opt for storage of vegetables because we cannot pay the transportation charges of our produce to the store,” said Mukhtiar Singh, another grower.

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