BHUBANESWAR: Lack of demand for vegetables in retail markets continues to trouble farmers across the State despite relaxation on the movement of farm produces amid extended lockdown. Almost all kind of vegetables are selling three times less than a normal year during this time due to poor demand as people are confined to their houses to stay safe from the attack of coronvirus.
“Had it been a normal time, potala (pointed gourd) could have fetched a minimum price of `30-40 a kg at the farmgate. I am offered only `8-10 a kg but I don’t have any choice,” rued Karunakar Pradhan, a farmer of Kurla village in Bargarh district. Farmers of this Western Odisha village have grown pointed gourd on more than 100 acres of land.
With a bumper yield, the farmers are desperately looking for markets outside the district to sell their produce at prices that would recover the cost of production. Lack of transport has forced them to dispose off their produce at local market where the vegetable is selling at `15 a kg. The price of the vegetable in the State Capital is around `50 to `60 a kg. As usual, the traders (middlemen) make the maximum profits at the cost of the farmers. This is the season when farmers of Bargarh district make a hay by selling pointed gourd in the coastal districts where the vegetable is harvested in May, Pradhan added.
The lockdown notwithstanding the relaxation offered to the farm sector has a depressing effect on the prices of other vegetables like brinjal, bitter gourd, radish pods and ladies finger. The farmers are selling these vegetables at an average price of `10 a kg while the market price is almost double. “The State Government had announced that the lockdown would not affect the transport and trade of agricultural commodities. It has also appointed nodal officer for each of the 30 districts to mitigate the hardship, but to no avail,” said Basanta Barik, a farmer of Balasore district.
With 20 acre of agricultural land, Barik has grown bitter gourd on one acre, ladies’ finger and brinjal on 50 decimal of land each. He was expecting to earn around `80,000 from bitter gourd alone with a sale price of `30 per kg at his filed. Now, he has lost hope as he is unable to sell it at `10 a kg. With police keeping a strong vigil on the movements of all kinds of transport, Barik said most of the farmers are taking their vegetables to the local markets in the wee hours so that they can return their homes by 6 am to avoid police action.