Ginger growers beam smiles

Rates see quantum jump from ` 300 to Rs 1200 per 60 kg bag

The farmers who were mourning over crash in ginger price and crop loss are now out for some good news. Ginger has bagged good market price this year, rekindling hope in ginger growers.

Superior quality ginger has fetched Rs 1200 per bag of 60 kgs in Hasan market. Good price is prevailing at Chikmagalur market as well where superior quality ginger costs Rs 10 to 12 per kg, good quality ginger costs Rs six to eight and ordinary quality costs Rs three to four per kg.

While ginger harvest had begun cost of a bag of ginger was fixed at Rs 300, which gradually increased to Rs 600 to 800. The cost drastically shot up to Rs 1,200 per bag of 60 kg ginger.

Last year, a 60 kg bag of ginger cost Rs 500 to 900, earning the growers meager income. Though most growers had thought that last year’s price would continue even this year, they were out for a shock when the market opened at Rs 300 per bag.

On Wednesday, the farmers who had come to market with ginger crops were surprised and overwhelmed to know about the cost of ginger.

A farmer said that since the cost was low he had rooted out all the ginger crops and sold at Rs 300.

 “I had left just one field of crops for seeds but now that the cost has shot up I have decided to take out the reserved crop and sell it,” he said.

In the district, the ginger growers have not been able to celebrate the price rise because disappointed with dipping price of ginger most of the growers had pulled out the crop and cleared the field.