Heatwave impact: Vegetable-growers of Haryana stare at losses as yield dips
Vegetable-growers of Haryana are staring at huge losses as crop yield has declined up to 50% due to long dry spell and severe heatwave conditions in the region
Vegetable-growers of Haryana are staring at huge losses as crop yield has declined up to 50% due to long dry spell and severe heatwave conditions in the region.
The prices of most vegetables in wholesale markets have witnessed a rise but according to farmers, heatwave caused by the extended dry spell has impacted the crops badly, especially tomatoes and capsicum.
Farmers said the input cost has also increased as they are spending on labour and fertilisers to protect the crops and lessen the impact of heatwave. They said the heatwave has also affected the quality of tomato, causing a price dip of around ₹200 per carton.
As per experts, the plants did not yield fruit, tomatoes are not ripening and flowers are drying up due to the impact of rise in mercury.
“My two acre under tomatoes has produced only 160 cartons (25kg per carton) so far while the average production from this land should remain over 1,300 cartons from the same land,” said Yamunanagar tomato-grower Rajbir Kamboj, adding that most farmers are unable to earn profit despite prices in the peak season touching ₹1,100 per carat.
“Prices are more than double than last year but due to poor produce, we are not even able to get the input cost,” said farmer Ajay Kumar, of Ladwa, who has taken two acre on rent at ₹54,000 per year.
Similarly, farmers who have grown capsicum and bottle guard are also complaining of poor yield due to heatwave.
“I have been growing capsicum for the past five years but this year, the yield is the worst. We cannot earn any profit even if prices in the wholesale market go above ₹20 per kg against the normal ₹8 per kg,” said another farmer Rajesh Kumar, who has grown capsicum on two acre in Ratangarh village.
Not only farmers but tenant farmers and landless labourers are also bearing the brunt of the heatwave. Vegetable cultivation requires permanent labourers and generally, they work on 50% share of profit.
“If farmers will not earn any profit, how will they pay the labourers?” said tenant farmer Harish Kumar.
As per rainfall reports from the Indian meteorological department, Haryana had received only 2.5mm rainfall in the past one week, which is 50% less than the normal 5mm.
In more worries to farmers, weather reports are predicting no rain in the next five days and the maximum temperature is also likely to remain above 40°C.
