Ginger growers of Napoklu hope for the best

Market conditions hint that farmers may fetch about ` 1,000 per bag

Continuous rains and damp soil had made the ginger germinate in the soil, leaving farmers high and dry. Last year’s crop loss has its impact on farmers even this year. The market price of ginger fell drastically. Since they could hardly fetch anything for their produce, the farmers are not able to come back to farms confidently this year.
Off late, growing ginger has come a fashion in Napoklu region.

Almost every farmer in the region rooted out paddy crops and opted to grow ginger because of the market price. Farmland, fields, plantations and even kitchen gardens have been transformed into ginger cultivation land. In some places, even small hillock have been caved off to accommodate ginger crops.

It is during March-April that ginger crops are harvested. Now that rains have started lashing exactly during the harvesting season, farmers have started grieving already.

Price

Last year during this time, one bag of ginger cost Rs 2,500. The farmers are expected to get the same price for their produce. However, prevailing market conditions hint that the ginger farmers can fetch only about Rs 1000 per bag and not more.

“Once the ginger germinates, then its quality suffers. Germinated ginger has no market. Harvesting one bag of ginger would cost Rs 60,” says farmer Shivachaliyanda Jagadish.
Jagadish along with his brother Viju Poonacha has sown 70 bags of ginger in 3.5 acre land.

They expect to get 350  bags of ginger per acre. The duo will have to spend lakhs of rupees for seeds, fertilisers, labourers etc. The brothers say that with ginger cultivation, they cannot get back the invested amount. The situation of ginger growers is almost the same everywhere in the state.

The ginger growers in Hasan too are in dire straits. Jagadish says that if good quality ginger starts coming to market in limited quantity, then ginger price will pick up. Now ginger price is not shooting up because of the poor quality.

However, with their hopes high ginger farmers are ready to face what future has in store for them.