Veggies fetch high prices in Punjab, farmers in Himachal rejoice

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, October 10

High prices of vegetables in the plains have benefited the farmers of Chotta Bhangal, a remote tribal area in Kangra district. The farmers of the area grow off season vegetables in their fields located in the foothills of Dhauladhar mountains. Though the area is very remote, having poor roads, traders from Chandigarh, Pathankot and other cities of Punjab are making a beeline here these days to buy the vegetables.

Tilak Raj, a farmer from Multhan, the last village connected with road in Chotta Bhangal area, also the Tehsil headquarters, said he had grown cabbage this year and was getting price of about Rs 40 per kg for his crop. “This is the highest price I have got for my crop in the past one decade,” he said.

Jagveer Kumar, another farmer from the area, said this year the potato crop was also fetching a wholesale price of Rs 40 per kg. Potato grown in Chotta Bhangal valley is famous as ‘barot’ potato. It is sold at a price higher than the potato grown in plains. The farmers in their area were getting up to Rs 40 per kg, which was much higher than the price of Rs 20 to Rs 25 they got last year, he added.

The farmers told The Tribune that daily about 8 to 10 trucks of vegetables were being taken away by traders from Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.

Rakesh Prajapati, Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, said the farmers of Chotta Bhangal area were progressive. Some of them were also growing exotic vegetables, such as broccoli. This year, they were getting up to Rs 145 per kg for broccoli crop. Farmers of the area were also growing offseason vegetables, such as peas, which was also fetching a good price this year. As per the initial estimate, the farmers of Bara Bhangal valley had sold vegetables ranging from Rs 5 to 6 crore in the Multhan market, he said.

The vegetables grown in Bara Bhangal valley were as good as organic vegetables and were popular in the plains of adjoining states. The government was trying to help the farmers get better price of their vegetable crop in order to maximise their profit, Prajapati added.