Farmers Dump Garlic on Roads as Prices Dip, Onion Growers Too Suffer

FARMERS have resorted to discarding their garlic harvest on the roads and alleys of Lakshmeshwar in Gadag district due to an abrupt drop in prices.

- RAGHOTTAM KOPPAR @Gadag

FARMERS have resorted to discarding their garlic harvest on the roads and alleys of Lakshmeshwar in Gadag district due to an abrupt drop in prices. Many farmers engaged in heated arguments with wholesale buyers upon learning the current valuation of their produce. Just last week, the market price ranged from ₹5,000 to ₹7,000 per quintal, but on Saturday, it plummeted to between ₹2,000 and ₹3,000 per quintal.

The main cause of this steep drop is attributed to incessant rainfall. Hence, farmers have called for a guaranteed minimum support price (MSP), while shopkeepers in the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) contend that pricing is dependent upon quality. The plight is dire for onion growers as well. In response to steeply dropping prices, many farmers have begun selling their onion harvest directly to consumers using goods vehicles.