For the first time in memory recently, the price of ginger has fallen, mostly due to restrictions on trips to Kerala, leaving farmers in the old Mysuru area that is worried.
Ginger cultivation is considered safe and profitable and has become a major plant in the old Mysuru area, especially in MySuru District, Shivamogga, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru and Chamarajanagar.
Because of his profitability, farmers from Kerala took agricultural fields on contracts in the region and fostering ginger.
But now prices have fallen, and farmers’ unions have decided to urge the government to guarantee them.
Badagalapura Nagendra, President of State, Rajya Raitha Sangha and an organic ginger planter alone, said the main reason for the price crash was a pandemic.
He said exports have dried up and farmers are now in trouble.
“One of the biggest domestic markets for ginger is Kerala but today, there is a supply disruption because of Covid-19,” said Nagendra.
“We want the state government to intervene in the market,” he said.
Farmers said prices for 60kg bags, namely Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 two years ago, have fallen to the trivial 400 Hospital this year.
Last year the price between Rs 800 and Rs 1,000.
Likewise, a piece of a bag of 60kg of one-year-old ginger has dropped from RS 4,000-RS 5,000 in 2020 to Rs 1,600-Rs 1,700 now.
Without the government scheme to buy products, farmers said they were staring at a big loss.
Farmers in this region generally sow fresh plants in February and harvest it in November or December.
Hosur Kumar, ginger planter from Hosur in Hunsur Taluk, MySuru District, said that the increase in the area for ginger cultivation was also the reason for the price decline.
“The harvest season has not started.
Farmers are afraid of prices going down further,” he said.
Kumar said farmers sell old ginger.
“The price of the accident is a headache for all of us.
Our fear is that prices may not recover for months now,” Kumar said.