Garlic purchase at fair price delayed in Rajasthan, farmers continue to suffer Beginning today, govt to procure garlic under MIS

BANE Garlic started arriving in the market four weeks ago, but prices crashed due to bumper production

:Delay in purchase of garlic at fair price through market intervention scheme (MIS) has hit farmers in Rajasthan who have been forced to sell the crop at throwaway prices.

The garlic crop started arriving in the market more than four weeks back, but prices have crashed due to a bumper production this year.

While the Union agriculture ministry had approved the Rajasthan government’s request to purchase garlic at fair price on April 12, the implementation was delayed, and the purchase under the MIS is expected to start from Thursday, officials familiar with the matter, said.

Meanwhile, two debt-ridden farmers have committed suicide in Kota division allegedly due to lower wholesale prices of garlic that did not even cover the input and transport cost. The state government does not categorise farmer’s death due to debt burden until the investigation is completed.

“Farmers are being forced to sell garlic at ₹3-15 per kg, depending on the quality as against an input cost of at least ₹20 per kg,” said Kisan Mahapanchayat president Rampal Jat.

“The 25 mm thickness garlic that the state government will purchase at ₹32 per kg is being sold at ₹ 15,” he said.

In March, when the crop had started arriving in the mandis, farmers were receiving an average price of ₹ 16 per kg but subsequently the prices have fallen since then.

More than 10,000 quintal of garlic crop is currently reaching Kota mandi every day but farmers are at the receiving end in absence of fair price of the crop.

“We had certain queries about the purchase of garlic through the market intervention scheme. We got the reply from the Union agriculture ministry on Tuesday and will now start the purchase of garlic at fair price,” said Rajasthan State Cooperative Marketing Federation (RAJFED) managing director Veena Pradhan.

The government will be purchasing garlic at ₹3,200 per quintal or ₹32 per kg and the tentative

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target for Kota division is 50,000 tonne, a RAJFED official posted in Kota regional office, said.

Two years back, garlic prices were ruling between ₹ 60 and 90 per kg at the mandis. Farmers have been dejected due to steep fall in the prices.

On April 12, hundreds of farmers from Hataudi region, including women staged a huge demonstration at the Kota collectorate where they burnt garlic crop to protest against lower prices.

The net area under garlic in Rajasthan has increased from 69,000 hectare to 1.32 lakh hectare and the production of garlic has also doubled from 3.77 lakh MT to 7.7 lakh MT this year.

The Hataudi region comprising Kota, Bundi, Jahawar and Baran, accounts for about 90% of the state’s production.

The state government will purchase garlic under the market intervention scheme (MIS) from Thursday to ensure that farmers get due price for the crop.

Following farmers’ suicide in the Kota region due to lower market price of garlic, the state government has decided to start purchase of garlic under MIS.

Farmers are getting as low as ₹500 to ₹ 2,000 every quintal at the market price for garlic.

The Union government had issued orders to the state government to purchase of garlic more than 12 days back but the Rajasthan government took time and will start the purchase of garlic from Thursday.

The government will purchase garlic through the Rajasthan state Cooperative Marketing Federation Limited (RAJFED) from farmers, said state cooperative minister Ajay Singh Kilak.

Two purchase centres have been established in Hadauti, including one each at Bhamashah mandi of Kota and Cheepabarod mandi in Baran.

“If there is a requirement for increasing the numbers of purchase centres then it will be increased,” Kilak said.

The state government will purchase garlic from farmers at ₹ 3,257 every quintal under the MIS scheme and will also pay ₹ 57 for every quintal more than last year as the government purchase rate of garlic under the MIS scheme was ₹ 3,200 every quintal last year, he said. “The government will purchase garlic of 25 mm or more in size until 12 May.”

Principal secretary, state cooperative department, Abhay Kumar said so far 1,870 farmers have registered themselves online for selling their garlic under the MIS Scheme.

The money will be deposited directly into the bank accounts of the garlic grower which is printed on the bhamashah card, he said.

Garlic is cultivated in more than 1.32 lakh hectare area in Rajasthan out of which 1.14 lakh alone is cultivated in Kota region and the production is likely to increase to 7.18 lakh metric tonne this year.

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