Bihar farmers selling fruit, vegetables at a pittance
Buyers are few as nation grapples with lockdown
Debt-ridden farmers in Bihar have begun distress sale of fruit and vegetables grown on their lands as there are very few buyers for the produce. Most of these farmers had taken loans to finance their farming activities. Although they have had a bumper production so far this season, they are unable to transport the produce to the markets in nearby towns or in other states due to suspension of all transport services in view of the lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic. The result is that these hapless farmers are now compelled to sell at throwaway prices.
Severe losses
The worst-hit are the lychee growers. They had faced severe financial losses in recent years due to rumours that its consumption was the main reason behind the outbreak of encephalitis. They breathed a sigh of relief after health experts quashed the idea. However, the lockdown over the pandemic has dealt a severe blow again.
“We are staring at a huge financial loss this time as 90 per cent of the produce from our gardens still remain unsold,” said Arvind Kumar Singh, a lychee-grower from Muzaffarpur.
A Bihar horticulture department report says lychee is grown on more than 32,000 hectares of land in the state and the average annual yield is 300,000 tonnes. Bihar contributes 40 per cent of the total lychee production in India.
“We don’t think we will be able to sell more than 25 per cent of our produce in the local markets. The rest will go waste,” Bihar Litchi Growers Association president Bachcha Prasad Singh said. According to him, the total market for lychee is worth around Rs10 billion (Dh487.3 million), but this time around, there are no big buyers.