Not getting good price for their crops, Lahaul farmers demand market yard

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, July 24

Facing difficulty in fetching reasonable price for their produce, farmers of tribal districts of Lahaul and Spiti are demanding establishment of market yard in the district.

The farmers who are producing potato, peas, vegetables and other cash crops for the past few years to sustain their livelihood rue that due to lack of market yard in the district, they are dependent on businessmen coming from outside, who purchase their agriculture produce on cheap price. They say that setting up of market yard will help them in getting reasonable remuneration for their crops.

Dev Prakash, a native of Goshal village in Lahaul Spiti, said, “Due to lack of market yard in the district, farmers become victim of market agents, who purchase agriculture produce as per their will. As the topography of the place is difficult and harsh, many villages lack road connectivity for transportation of their produce”, he added.

About 800 hectares of land was covered under agriculture producing crops like peas, potato, cabbage, cauliflower and other vegetables in the district. Farmers say last year when markets price of peas was between Rs 40 to Rs 50 a kg they were forced to sell it at half the rates. Similar is they situation for other crops.

Another farmer Mohan Lal Relingpa lamented, “There was direct exploitation of farmers by private marketing agents, who were dictating terms to us”. Therefore, farmers are desperate to have the facility of market yard.

“Earlier a chunk of land was selected at Kardang village to establish a market yard but no progress had taken place and now authorities were looking for a land at Dalang to establish it as per the convenience of the locals”, he added.

When contacted, chairperson of Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee Kullu and Lahaul Spiti Upender Kant Mishra, said the authority were facing difficulty in getting a chunk of land to establish marketing yard. A few days back a team of officials was sent to the area to review the situation. As soon as the land is transferred, the authority will set up the market yard in the interest of the farmers, he added.