At Rs 1 for a kilo, Punjab’s cabbage, cauliflower farmers feel the pinch of glut

Lakhwinder Singh Grewal, a husbandman from Ludhiana’s Sahnewal, cultivated cabbage connected 1.5 acres aft the paddy harvest successful October. His harvest matured by the extremity of December, but helium is present forced to merchantability astatine rock-bottom prices successful wholesale markets. “With specified rates, I can’t adjacent screen my costs,” helium lamented.

Darshan Singh, a cauliflower husbandman from Giddranwali colony successful Abohar, is facing a akin fate. Frustrated by the dismal rates, helium has resorted to feeding his nutrient to cattle. “What’s the constituent of taking it to the mandi erstwhile I’ll lone get Rs 1 per kg?” helium questioned.

Weather woes and telephone for argumentation intervention

Farmers property the situation to unpredictable upwind patterns. Amarinder Singh from Lakhowal colony successful Ludhiana explained that higher temperatures successful November led to mediocre aboriginal yields, portion a abrupt somesthesia driblet successful December caused aboriginal and precocious varieties to mature astatine the aforesaid time, flooding the market. “This happens with galore vegetables, and the authorities authorities needs to aftermath up and find ways to negociate specified situations,” helium added.

Grewal emphasised the request for amended readying by authorities cultivation bodies, including the Horticulture Department, Agriculture Department, and Punjab Agricultural University (PAU). “They request to measure however overmuch onshore should beryllium allocated for each rootlike harvest and organise farmers into clusters to modulate supply. This volition forestall unpredictable terms crashes,” helium said, criticising the authorities government’s inclination to displacement blasted to the Centre alternatively of taking responsibility.

He said agriculture is simply a authorities subject, hence immoderate homework needs to beryllium done by them to warrant their salaries.

He besides pointed retired Punjab’s imaginable to export vegetables to Arab countries that presently import the nutrient from Europe. “Why can’t we pat into that market? Instead, the authorities blames the Centre, and the Centre blames the state—everyone is conscionable playing ballot politics,” helium remarked.

According to cultivation data, astir 20,000 hectares successful Punjab are nether cauliflower and cabbage cultivation this year. The aboriginal August-sown varieties that deed the markets successful November fetched ₹30-40 per kg, but the proviso was limited.

“This is nary terms for a farmer,” said Amarjeet Singh, a Ferozepur-based cultivator, recalling that capsicum faced a akin terms illness past year. “Minimum Support Price (MSP) is necessary, but the authorities authorities indispensable besides absorption connected solutions to grip surplus production,” helium added.

Horticulture section acknowledges glut

The horticulture section has, meanwhile, admitted that excess accumulation has led to terms crashes this year.

Dr. Shailender Kaur, Director of Horticulture, Punjab, said that idiosyncratic speedy freezing centre is being acceptable up astatine Verka cooperative nine of Punjab authorities to code the situation. “It is simply a nutrient processing method which freezes nutrient items astatine a accelerated rate. Food processing is the request of the hr to grip glut,” she said.

She said that prices were profitable successful the aboriginal play but ways request to beryllium recovered to prolong this request passim the season.