Shimla, May 18 (UNI) Farmers who are growing off seasonal Vegetable in Himachal Pradesh are forced to feed their produce to livestock animals due to a sharp drop in prices, the Himachal Kisan Sabha said on Tuesday.
HKS president Kuldip Singh Tanwar said that farmers are selling cauliflower for Rs 2 to Rs 7 per kilogram this season even though its production cost is Rs 10 to 12 per kg. Consumers are still paying Rs 20-25 for it, he added.
According to farmers, vegetable prices have crashed due to curfew restrictions as markets are only allowed to remain open for three hours a day, and demand by hotels and establishments is also low.
A similar drop in vegetable prices occurred during the lockdown last summer.
Mr. Tanwar said that for farmers of vegetables such as cauliflowers, tomatoes, cabbage, peas and French beans, the state government must offer minimum support price to help them tide over the crisis.
He said that farmers of the state have already suffered extensive crop losses this summer due to unseasonal hail and snow.
