Reducing vegetable growers’ anxiety

Since the beginning of the countrywide shutdown on March 26, vegetable growers across the country have been incurring huge losses as many of them have not been able to sell their produce due to a lack of buyers and transport facilities. Those who could manage to sell their produce, had to sell them at very low prices. It has become difficult for the farmers to negotiate a fair price under the current situation, as buyers are not visiting the vegetable producing zones like they used to at normal times.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, our farmers have produced 54 lakh tonnes of vegetables so far this fiscal year. Unfortunately, while vegetable production has increased in the country over the last few years, the much-needed storing facilities have not been developed. In a proper cold storage, vegetables such as pumpkins, tomatoes, brinjals, green chilies etc, can be stored from three weeks to three months. Therefore, increasing our storing capacity is very important to ensure that all the hard work of our farmers do not go in vain. With proper cold storage facilities in place, farmers would never have to sell fruits and vegetables at throwaway prices. If they do not get a fair price, they can store their produce and sell them in the lean season when the demand and price is high.

It is good to know that the Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM) has placed a project proposal to government to build 15 storage facilities in various parts of the country to solve the problem. We hope the proposal gets the government's approval. At the same time, private initiatives to build cold storages should also be encouraged. Besides, online platforms should be developed so that marginalised farmers can sell their produce at better prices. Since building cold storage units will need some time, what the government should do now to save the farmers from counting losses is to ensure transport facilities for them so that they can bring their produce to the big cities and sell them. It will also ensure a steady supply of vegetables, which are a crucial part of people's daily diet.