For the last one year, farmers have been protesting demanding their basic rights. The hands that feed us are not being able to able fend for themselves. A farmer from Jalna district, Maharashtra, destroyed 400 kgs of cauliflower that he had grown over months. The reason? The price that he was getting for 400kgs of cauliflower was just Rs 442.
Prices across cities in Maharashtra
As of March 16, 2018, the price for cauliflower across cities in Maharashtra is Rs 90 per quintal in Islampur, Rs 200 per quintal in Pandharpur, Rs 285 per quintal in Nashik, Rs 350 per quintal in Kolhapur.
So, what does a farmer do in such a situation where he had to spend money on transport as well? He destroyed all his crop.
Recently, Tamil Nadu farmers discarded harvested tomatoes into lake beds. Tomato price fell from Rs 20 to Rs 2 this month.
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Posted by Suresh Ediga on Monday, March 19, 2018
The Logical Indian take
Maharashtra recently saw 40,000 farmers march for 160 km to make their demands heard. The Maharashtra Government even assured them that their demands would be met. Yet, their woes seem never-ending. Minimum support price is crucial in a market where prices regularly fluctuate. If farmers get such meagre prices for their produce, it would be more profitable for them to throw or destroy them than sell. Additionally, there are transportation charges, labour charges, production charges, etc and the selling price does not help to make up for these charges.
Furthermore, destroying crops is akin to a person throwing away his livelihood. They don’t want to destroy them but are forced to when no other option remains. How do farmers, whose voices are rarely heard by those in power, urge for a change? The solution is to take such drastic measures that their cause can no longer be ignored.
The need of the hour is for the government to implement MSP and save the farmers when no one is willing to buy their produce.
