November 19, 2016

Demonetisation eating into farmers' profits, veggies sold at throwaway prices

Here's another bit of unwanted change the demonetisation drive has handed the common man, only this time around, it is to vegetable farmers in the state. The drive is forcing them to either dump their produce or sell it to agents at a loss. Traders from the APMC market say if lower denomination currency is not made available in the next few days, then the situation will be grim.

In Akola, farmers who were to cultivate their cabbage and cauliflower for sale are finding no traders to sell them. mid-day spoke to Yogesh Godse (30), a farmer who hails from Lahit Khurd village in Akola. He has cultivated cauliflower in his over one-acre of farmland and also sells his produce through the APMC market in Vashi.

Godse said, "A day before the Prime Minister announced the demonetisation, the traders would buy cauliflower at Rs 15 per kilo, then it dropped to Rs 9 and today only a handful of traders visit the market and quote their rate, which at present is Rs 3 per kilo, which doesn't not even cover our costs." Godse said he cultivates around 10,000 to 12,000 kilos of cauliflower this time of the year.

Amol Shivdas (29), another farmer from the same village said, "We used to sell cabbage at R8 per kilo and today due to lack of demand from the traders, we are not even able to get Rs 3 per kilo.

These are perishable products but since it is winter, they can remain fresh for three to four days. But after that it is a waste and we have to feed our cattle, we cannot even think of selling our produce at such a lower rate."

"There are no takers for our vegetables and as traders and customers don't have smaller denomination currency, the demand has fallen and we have to incur heavy losses," said Shivdas.

Source: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/demonetisation-eating-into-farmers-profits-vegetable-prices-mumbai-news/17768194

No comments:

Post a Comment

Share this...