Barwani (Madhya Pradesh): Barwani farmers are facing a dire situation as the brinjals (eggplant) they cultivated with high hopes are failing to find buyers. Over the past 20 to 25 days, the wholesale market has shown no interest in purchasing brinjals, forcing farmers to discard the produce or feed it to cattle. This predicament is causing financial losses amounting to lakhs of rupees, pushing farmers to reconsider this type of farming.
Deepak Gehlot, a farmer from Kari village, invested in brinjal cultivation hoping to double his income. However, for nearly a month, there has been no demand, with prices plummeting from Rs 12-15 per kg to as low as Rs 1-2 per kg. Thousands of quintals of brinjal are rotting, a stark contrast to last year when the prices were more favourable.
Gehlot has spent around Rs 25,000 to 30,000 per acre on brinjal cultivation, but his returns have been negligible. With four acres under brinjal, he has invested approximately Rs 1.5 lakh, yet he struggles to even cover the costs. The market offers such low prices that he finds it more beneficial to feed the brinjals to animals in the cowshed rather than sell them for a pittance.
The farmers' frustration is compounded by the lack of response from public representatives and the administration. While brinjals sell for Rs 20-25 per kg in the retail market, the wholesale market remains unresponsive, leaving farmers to bear the brunt of this imbalance.
Last year, from November to January, brinjal prices were promising, prompting many farmers to increase their production. However, the current oversupply has led to a market glut, with demand failing to meet the increased production.
Farmers are now questioning how long they can endure these losses, calling for immediate attention and action to alleviate their plight.
.png)