The misery of farmers in Bargarh district seems to have no end. Even if they want to sell tomato at Re 1- a-kg, there are few takers. let alone the pang of distress sale, even the farmers are compelled to throw tomato bags on road side and return home with a heavy heart.
In such a situation, the district administration, officials of the Agriculture Department and leaders have just turned their back to the distressed farmers. The farmers have been left high and dry with none coming to their rescue or making any alternative arrangement to ease their difficulties.
While it is sure that the farmers will lose their livelihood, the question of paying off loans they have incurred from banks and private source to cultivate tomato has haunted them. Given the current position, the farmers have not been able to earn even 10 per cent of their investment. Tomato apart, farmers are also not getting fair price for brinjal, green chilly and other vegetables produced in the ongoing winter season.
This is the situation since last 10 days all over the Padmapur sub division. Traders and brokers from different districts in Odisha and also from the neigbouring Chhatisgarh are not coming here like before and in absence of them, the farmers’ economic backbone is totally broken.
As per information, the farmers of Gaisilet block of the district were forced to sell tomato at Re1 per kg in the Guderpali hata (market).
Still there were not sufficient buyers to take all the tomatoes from the market. And, the result was that the farmers preferred to throw their vegetables in the market itself as they would have to pay transport charge if they had taken the unsold vegetables back home.
“In spite of all tall claims of the Government and the Agriculture Department, there is not a single cold store in the area to store a perishable vegetable like tomato. Hence, farmers of different villages like Guderpali, Khalabahal, Telamahul and many other areas have incurred heavy losses and are heading for a bleak future,” said leading farmer Aswini Pradhan.