Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers partially relieved as traders from other states buy muskmelons

Jalandhar, May 31Relaxations given in the lockdown in the past few weeks have brought partial relief for muskmelon growers.Now, 1,000 trolleys have reached the main Roopewal mandi in Shahkot where traders from eight states are buying their produce. Though the situation this year is not as good, the farmers have said that it has improved a bit as compared to the past few weeks.The farmers have said while earlier they were getting buyers only from Punjab, now some old traders had also started taking their produce directly or indirectly.“They have established their contacts through some middlemen here and have made bulk purchases of muskmelon directly from farmers in the fields this year,” said Joga Singh, a farmer and sarpanch of Chak Chela village in Shahkot.The farmer said in the beginning, the price of the fruit was Rs8-9 per kg and now, it has fallen to Rs5-6 per kg. “We are okay with the price as it had dipped down to Rs3-4 per kg around this time last year. We do not expect a further dip in the price as the area under muskmelon has fallen this year. Many farmers have shifted towards maize cultivation as they feel that it is a more remunerative crop,” said Fakir Singh from Seechewal village.According to the data of the Horticulture Department, muskmelon has been sown on 2,587 hectares and watermelon on 866 hectares this year. As of now, varieties, including Madhu and Golden Glory, are being sold for Rs15-20 kg in retail. Bobby variety is being sold for Rs20-25 per kg.Dr Naresh Kumar, Deputy Director, Horticulture Department, said, “We ensured a hassle-free movement of muskmelon traders from Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttarakhand and other states.” As part of the planning to check the Covid spread, market committee officials split the main Roopewal village mandi in Shahkot into four big venues to maintain social distancing.

The Tribune

2020-06-01