We encouraged farmers to study the collectives of chilli growers in Rajasthan to market their produce. The collective formed in Ferozepur is because of our hand-holding. Farmers are being trained to market their produce themselves,” she said. “We have initiated a programme - Punjab Horticulture Advancement and Sustainable Entrepreneurship. Last year, farmers in south Malwa had uprooted their plants from orchards after suffering losses.ĭr Shailendra Kaur, Director, Horticulture Department, said the government was teaching entrepreneurial skills to farmers so that the middlemen can be bypassed.

In Sangrur and Faridkot, capsicum was being bought for Rs 2.50 per kg and Rs 4 per kg, respectively, said Sachdeva, adding that the growers had fetched between Rs 20 to Rs 35 per kg last year.Įven potato farmers suffered massive loss.

Vegetable trader Dimpy Sachdeva of Jalandhar said they were buying capsicum grown in Sultanpur Lodhi for up to Rs 6 per kg. The market dynamics change every year and there is no insulation for farmers,” said Jeewan. “I will not grow capsicum next year and stick to the crops that have an assured minimum support price. “Rather than being humiliated daily, I decided to get over the ‘shock’ in one go,” he said, adding that the cultivation cost stood at around Rs 80,000 per acre. Yesterday, Jeewan Singh of Bhaini Bhaga village in Mansa ploughed his capsicum crop after traders offered him just Rs 1 per kg. Lack of marketing, government support through price stabilisation fund and inability to shrug off middlemen has weaned away farmers from experimenting with various crops. Even a government-run plant in Abohar is offering just Rs 24 per kg for chillies.”Īfter the Aam Aadmi Party government gave a call for the crop diversification, farmers who followed the advice said the move had failed to yield any result. The middlemen take away the profits while growers are left high and dry. Fed up with the low mandi rates, 20 farmers in Ferozepur have formed a collective to buy chillies from small and marginal farmers.Īgainst the market price of Rs 21 per kg offered by traders, the collective is buying chilli at Rs 28 (Sahiba variety) and Rs 34 per kg (United variety).īalwinder Singh of Mahalan village in Ferozepur said, “We decided to market the produce ourselves.

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