SHILLONG, July 19: Days after cabbage growers in the Smit area were forced to distribute their produce free of cost due to a market glut, farmers in Nongthliew, East Khasi Hills, are now facing a similar crisis, with many left with no option but to dump heaps of radish in their fields after prices crashed to unsustainable levels.
The sharp decline in prices has dealt a severe blow to farmers, who say they invested heavily in cultivation but are now unable to recover even their production costs.
Farmers from the area told a section of the media that they are being forced to sell radish for as little as Rs 2 to Rs 4 per kilogram, far below the cost of cultivation, which includes expenditure on seeds, fertilisers, irrigation, transportation and loan repayments.
“We have no option but to throw away our produce. There is no point in harvesting when the price is so low,” one farmer said.
Several farmers were seen dumping piles of radish in open fields after failing to find buyers.
The farmers alleged that middlemen dictate the prices, leaving growers with little bargaining power.
“The traders come and decide the price. Whether the produce is of good quality or not, we have no choice but to sell because there is no alternative market,” they said.
According to the farmers, traders are currently offering only Rs 2 to Rs 4 per kg, a price they say is worse than giving the produce away for free.
“There are days when traders do not even come to buy. We are then forced to dump the radish in the fields to rot. There is simply too much produce and no market for it,” they said.
Nongthliew is one of Meghalaya’s major radish-producing areas, with most of its produce transported to Assam through traders, while only a small quantity is sold in local markets.
The farmers said many cultivators had taken loans to finance farming and are now struggling to repay them because of the price crash.
“If we could get even Rs 10 to Rs 15 per kg, we would at least recover our cultivation costs. But at Rs 3 or Rs 4 per kg, how are we supposed to repay our loans?” one farmer asked.
Apart from poor prices, the farmers also complained of unfair deductions in weight by traders.
They alleged that traders deduct one kilogram for every 10 kilograms purchased, resulting in heavy losses.
“If we sell 100 kg, they deduct 10 kg. If we sell 1,000 kg, they deduct 100 kg. This causes huge losses for us,” they claimed.
One of the farmers said many cultivators had already dumped large quantities of radish because there were no buyers.
“We have thrown away our radish because the price is too low. If we stop farming, what other livelihood do we have?” she said.
Appealing for immediate intervention, the farmers urged the state government to create better market linkages, ensure remunerative prices for agricultural produce and introduce measures to protect farmers from recurring price crashes, while arguing that agriculture remains the primary source of livelihood for many families in the area.
