KALPETTA: Heavy decline in ginger prices has put farmers of Wayanad district in dire straits. One more farmer committed suicide on Monday night in the district owing to mounting financial debts, making the toll to three within a week. The deceased has been identified as Varghese, 48, of Thrikkaippata within the limits of Meppadi police station.According to police, Varghese had debts of around `3.5 lakh in various banks and committed suicide after consuming poison following heavy loss in ginger and banana farming.According to agriculture officers, ginger prices plunged to `550 a sack (60 kg) from a high price of `1,300 per sack around three months ago and has been remaining the same ever since. “Eying the heavy profit from ginger cultivation, a lot of farmers did ginger cultivation in Kudaku in Karnataka after taking land for heavy lease amount. Besides, many farmers in other states also ventured into ginger cultivation following the trend. Due to large-scale investment in the field, production multiplied, resulting in a decrease in market prices.While the price range in Karnataka varies from `500 to `550, it ranges from `400 to `450 in Wayanad. This has caused a serious cut into the prospects of ginger farmers,” an agriculture officer of the district told Express.Earlier, two farmers - C P Sasidharan of Vellamunda and Ilavukunnu Asokan of Seethamount near Pulpally - had committed suicide. However, Principal Agriculture Officer Vikraman said the exact number of farmers doing ginger cultivation in Kudaku was not available with the department. “According to reports from relatives and local people, farmers who committed suicide had been doing ginger cultivation in Kudaku.It’s not possible for the department to visit Kudaku and collect the details of farmers doing cultivation on leased land,” he said.Wayanad District Collector Gopalakrishna Bhatt has called an emergency meeting on Wednesday to evaluate the situation.
Comments
0 comment