Yeola, Maharashtra |
In Yeola, Maharashtra, cabbage farmers are facing a huge problem—their crop is selling for just 50 paise per kilogram. That’s less than the cost of a single piece of candy. Selling it at this price makes no sense because they would lose more money in transport and labor than they would earn.
So, instead of harvesting their crop, many farmers have let their cattle into the fields. The cows and buffaloes are now eating what was once supposed to be sold in the markets.
More Loss Than Profit
Growing cabbage is not cheap. Seeds, fertilizers, water, and labor all cost money. Farmers say that it takes at least ₹5 per kilo to grow cabbage. Even if they sell it for ₹2, they still lose money.
But 50 paise? That’s not a price—it’s an insult.
“If I send my cabbage to the market, I have to pay for transport and loading. In the end, I will spend more than I earn. What’s the point?” says a farmer in Yeola.
No Buyers, No Choice
In the wholesale markets (mandis), traders decide the price. If there’s too much cabbage in the market, they lower the rates because they know farmers have no other choice. Farmers can’t store fresh cabbage for long, and they don’t have factories or food processing units nearby that could turn their crop into something else.
Some farmers thought about sending their cabbage to bigger cities like Mumbai or Pune, but the transport cost is too high. They would lose even more money.
What Can Be Done?
Farmers and trade groups are asking the government for help. They want:
- Minimum Support Prices (MSP) so that no crop sells for such a low amount.
- Government purchase programs to buy excess cabbage directly from farmers.
- More food processing units to turn cabbage into pickles, dried vegetables, or cattle feed.
Experts say diversifying crops and better cold storage facilities could help in the long run. But for farmers in Yeola, the crisis is happening right now.
A Harvest Wasted
As the sun sets over Yeola, cattle roam freely in fields filled with uneaten cabbage. A farmer, watching his cows eat, shakes his head and says:
“I worked so hard for months, and now my crop is just cattle fodder. This is not farming—this is survival.”
For these farmers, the real loss is not just money—it’s hope.
