Garlic prices hit rock bottom in Madhya Pradesh, farmers up in arms | Indore News

The crisis has arisen due to bumper production

INDORE: Garlic, which has been listed under the ‘one crop one district’ scheme for Mandsaur and Ratlam districts is selling in local mandis at the rock bottom price of Rs 45-50 a quintal leaving farmers in distress.
Farmers of both districts have launched protests over the low price for their crop and demand ‘minimum support price’ for garlic, pointing out that it was included in the BJP-led state government’s ‘Bhavantar Bhugtan Scheme’ in 2018-19 but was discontinued, leaving farmers at the mercy of the market’s demand-and-supply formula. The crisis has arisen due to bumper production, say sources. Under the Bhavantar scheme, if the market price of listed crops was lower than the government-fixed modal rate, the government paid farmers the difference. It was meant to cushion farmers from price crashes. According to senior horticulture officials, the Bhavantar rate for garlic in 2018-19 was Rs 800/quintal.
The measly prices for garlic this year are already triggering unrest. Farmers say it won’t even cover their input costs. Angry farmers staged a protest in Ratlam on Saturday, closed the gates of a Krishi Mandi on Mhow Road.
‘Fix rates for garlic under Bhavantar at Rs 4 k/quintal ’
The protesting farmers stopped the auction as they were enraged at the rates on offer — as low as Rs 50-Rs 500 per quintal. Farmers said they have incurred a cost of Rs 2,500 per quintal in production. A similar protest was held at sailana bus stand where farmers carried out a ‘death procession’ of garlic crop. “We are being offered prices as low as Rs 45 to Rs 250 per quintal.
We want the state government to fix the price of garlic at Rs 4,000 per quintal under Bhavantar scheme,” one of the agitating farmers said. In Mandsaur, garlic farmers had the same demand though here garlic was selling at slightly better prices — a minimum Rs 100/quintal. Some farmers even received as high as Rs 6,665/quintal for crop of excellent quality (A grade). Mandsaur-based farmer and national vice president of BJP-supported Kisan MorchaBansilal Gurjar, said: “There is bumper production of garlic — almost twice the demand in local and international markets — in Dewas, Narmadapuram and some other districts as farmers sowed it on a large scale.
This is why the rate are as low as Rs 50-100/quintal.” He suggested that proper planning, based on records of statewide Raqba (areas) of the crop, to estimate its expected production and comparing it with the expected demand would help resolve the issue to a great extent. Minister of state for horticulture and food processing Bharat Singh Kushwaha agreed with the advice. “If the demand is 100 quintals while production is 1,000 quintals, then the rate will naturally go down,” the minister told TOI, adding that the government has started ‘Girdavari’ (estimated sowing) of horticulture crops. The government is also giving subsidies on crop storage, Kushwaha said.T he protesting farmers stopped the auction as they were enraged at the rates on offer — as low as Rs 50-Rs 500 per quintal. Farmers said they have incurred a cost of Rs 2,500 per quintal in production. A similar protest was held at Sailana bus stand where farmers carried out a ‘death procession’ of garlic crop.
“We are being offered prices as low as Rs 45 to Rs 250 per quintal. We want the state government to fix the price of garlic at Rs 4,000 per quintal under Bhavantar scheme,” one of the agitating farmers said. In Mandsaur, garlic farmers had the same demand though here garlic was selling at slightly better prices — a minimum Rs 100/quintal. Some farmers even received as high as Rs 6,665/quintal for crop of excellent quality (A grade). Mandsaur-based farmer and national vice president of BJP-supported Kisan Morcha, Bansilal Gurjar, said: “There is bumper production of garlic — almost twice the demand in local and international markets — in Dewas, Narmadapuram and some other districts as farmers sowed it on a large scale. This is why the rate are as low as Rs 50-100/quintal.” He suggested that proper planning, based on records of statewide Raqba (areas) of the crop, to estimate its expected production and comparing it with the expected demand would help resolve the issue to a great extent.
Minister of state for horticulture and food processing Bharat Singh Kushwaha agreed with the advice. “If the demand is 100 quintals while production is 1,000 quintals, then the rate will naturally go down,” the minister told TOI, adding that the government has started ‘Girdavari’ (estimated sowing) of horticulture crops. The government is also giving subsidies on crop storage, Kushwaha said.