Untimely rain brings vegetable price pain

Prices skyrocket after crops suffer damage due to showers in Kendrapara since the last four days

Published: 09th March 2020 05:34 AM | Last Updated: 09th March 2020 11:10 AM | A+A A-

A farmer inspecting cabbages affected by rain on his agriculture field in Kendrapara district

By Express News Service

KENDRAPARA: Untimely rain for the last four days has led to spike in prices of vegetables in the coastal district.The prices have shot up after crops of vegetable growers were damaged in the rain. Manas Jena, a farmer of Patkura, said, “Crops like radish, cabbage, cauliflower, ladies finger, bean and other seasonal vegetables grown in vast tracts of land have been damaged in the incessant rain.”

Apart from several varieties of vegetables which were prone to rain damage, many farmers suspect that potato and groundnut crops might have been affected due to increase in groundwater level. Besides, cabbages and cauliflowers may also get diseased due to the unseasonal rain.

Sources said there was a sharp fall in vegetable prices last month. While cabbage was priced at `20 per kg last week, it now costs Rs 35 in the market. Carrot is now being sold at `30 per kg while cauliflower costs `30. Last week, carrot and cauliflower were priced at `20 per kg. Babaji Sahoo, a vegetable seller of Kendrapara, said normally, prices come down during the fag end of winter. However, the untimely rain has damaged standing vegetable crops leading to sky-rocketing of the prices.

Most of the vegetables including potato, spinach, cucumber and pumpkin have registered a two-fold increase in their prices. To avoid losses, farmers in many areas have harvested vegetables which are still tender leading to soaring demand and high prices, he added.

Gayadhar Dhal, a farmer leader, said each year, farmers of many area in the coastal district face crop loss due to floods, scanty rainfall and unseasonal rain. But the administration pays only lip service to the problems of farmers. “Farmers have demanded that the district administration should make proper assessment of the crop loss due to unseasonal rain,” he added. Admitting that vegetable growers have suffered huge losses due to the untimely rain, Additional District Magistrate of Kendrapara Basant Rout said, “After assessing the damage, we will send a report to the State Government.”