Srikakulam: Unable to venture out, farmers sell veggies at throwaway price

Srikakulam: Vegetable farmers in the district and across the state as well are unable to get reasonable price for their produce for the last four months due to corona induced lockdown.

In the wake of Covid pandemic that affected the transport network as part of lockdown restrictions, the farmers are forced to dispose of their produce locally at a throw away price.

The earning capacity of the farmers was badly hit due to the Covid-19 impact and unable to recover even the investment amount for cultivation of crops by selling the produce in the market.

The vegetables are being cultivated in an extent of 25,000 acres by the farmers of Palavalasa, Bodlapadu and Koragam villages in Burja mandal, Oosavanipeta, Thotavada, Jaggu Sastrulapeta, Timmapuram and Mannayyapeta villages in Amudalavalasa mandal, Naira, Ponnam, Batteru, Nandagiripeta, Chintada, Sanapalavanipeta, Bavajipeta, Kutikuppalapeta, Gattumudipeta, Vakalavalasa and Silagam Singuvalasa villages in Srikakulam rural mandal, Fareedpeta, Kurmayyapeta, Pudivalasa and Kesavaraopeta villages in Etcherla mandal, Gudem, Rapaka, Kondapeta, Lolugu, Kancharam, Banam and Tholapi villages in Ponduru mandal.

In all these villages, the farmers are cultivating vegetables like, Lady's finger, Guor beans, Angular gourds, Beans, Brinjal and Gherkins in all the seasons in the dry and uplands.

Prior to the Covid, the vegetables from these villages used to be transported to all municipal towns and mandal centres in Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam city and also to Berhampur, Parlakhemundi and other areas of Odisha state.

Due to corona induced lockdown, the transport system was completely affected and adding to the woes, the timing restrictions on selling of farm sales also hit the farmers.

As a result, the traders have shut down their business operations forcing the farmers to dispose their produce locally in their surrounding villages.

The availability of vegetables is more than the demand in the local areas which is forcing the farmers to dispose of their produce at throwaway price.

Price for all vegetables has come down to Rs 10 a kg including Gherkins, Lady's fingers. Prior to Covid-19, the price for these two vegetables was more than Rs 25 a kg. The price is Rs 12 a kg for Guor beans and Angular gourds and Rs 15 for Beans and Brinjal.

The farmers cannot delay harvest of vegetables and unable to store them as these are perishable and decompose in a short span of time.

"We are unable to do any work other than cultivation and forced to sell our produce at throwaway price in the wake of corona pandemic," A Rama Rao, P Appa Rao and N Appala Swamy, farmers of Palavalasa, Bodlapadu and Koragam villages in Burja mandal told to The Hans India.

"We have no alternative than cultivation of vegetables and unable to get even our investment," stated K Gopalam, P Annaji and B Ramanayya, farmers of Ponnam, Batteru and Naira villages in Srikakulam rural mandal.

The farmers appealed to the government for sanctioning financial assistance of Rs 10,000 per acre to recover from the loss. They also requested the government to allow vegetable transportation and sales in a hassle-free manner without imposing time and area restrictions.