Sweet potato growers incur losses

The price of farm produce has fallen drastically following the lockdown. Furthermore, no one comes forward to purchase the products from the farmers.

The sweet potato is not getting a suitable price since the Covid pandemic began last year.

Farmers had cultivated sweet potato and elephant foot yam in various parts of the taluk.

There is good demand for these products in markets of Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi. But, owing to the lockdown, the lorries are not arriving in the district to transport the produce.

Further, none of the local traders is approaching the farmers to purchase the product.

Sweet potato is a six month to one year crop. If it is not harvested within the time, then it gets spoiled in the soil.

The sweet potatoes that used to be sold for Rs 15 to Rs 25 per kg are now fetching Rs 4 to Rs 5 per kg, said the farmers.

Farmers had cultivated sweet potato on a large scale at Koodige, Heggadahalli, Hudugooru, Harangi, Yadavanadu, Banavara, Alur Siddapura, Ganagooru, Gonimaroor, Aluvara and other surrounding areas.

Several farmers had destroyed the sweet potato crop using tractors in the fields in Ganagooru Gram Panchayat limits.

Farmer Kiran said, “The weather was conducive for sweet potato cultivation at Ganagooru. Now, we have incurred loss due to a lack of good price for it.”

Sathish from Yarapare said, “Farmers are not fetching a good price for the product, while shop keepers are selling the same farm produce for a high price. It is the middlemen who are playing a game.”