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After onions, chillies fail farmers
Despite this, there was no respite for the consumers as they continue to pay what they used to pay a few weeks ago - Rs 40-a-kg in the retail market. However, there was some relief for the consumers with the commodity being sold at a price of Rs 16-a-kg at Rythu Bazaars.The farmers arriving at the wholesale
Warangal: A win-win for the farmer and the consumer, the two most important people in the food supply chain, is indeed a distant dream as the gulf between the wholesale and retail markets of vegetables continues unabatedly.After onions, it is the turn of green chillies that is bringing tears to farmers. Not long ago, the price of green chillies hit the rooftop causing heartburn to consumers. Now it’s other way around with the farmers at the receiving end as prices crash to a new low Rs 4-a-kg at wholesale markets.
Despite this, there was no respite for the consumers as they continue to pay what they used to pay a few weeks ago - Rs 40-a-kg in the retail market. However, there was some relief for the consumers with the commodity being sold at a price of Rs 16-a-kg at Rythu Bazaars.The farmers arriving at the wholesale markets the Vegetable Market in Warangal and both the Rythu Bazaars (Excise Colony and Fatima Nagar) – are finding it difficult to get rid of their stocks even at Rs 4-a-kg. What’s appalling is that the farmers are not even getting a price that suffices transportation costs.
A Ravinder, a farmer from Kothagattu Singaram under Atmakur mandal, said that he didn’t get Rs 9-a-kg even when the demand for green chillies was high, priced around Rs 60-a-kg. He said that as the commodity is perishable, many a farmer after failing to find traders are getting rid of their produce at just Rs 2-a-kg also for the last couple of days.
Speaking to The Hans India, the Horticulture Department Assistant Director Md Ali Akbar said: “The timing of harvest didn’t augur well for the farmers this season. All of a sudden the markets were flooded with stocks and farmers were left with no choice but to sell at a meagre price.”
This apart, farmers took up cultivation of green chillies in over 5,500 acres against the average area of 4,800 acres in the district. The average yield of green chillies is 70 to 80 quintals per acre.
Meanwhile, the wholesale traders attributed the drop in price to a sudden spurt of the produce and they have nothing to do with it. When asked about the variation in the wholesale and retail markets, they said it was due to increased transportation charges besides a lot of wastage as the commodity is perishable very quickly.
The prices of green chillies and onions are down but only marginally. Neither the farmer nor the consumer is benefited while the middlemen are making hay of the situation,” K Nancharaiah, a retired Telecom employee, said.
