Vegetable farmers rue decline in yield as crops wither due to searing heat

Searing heat impacts Mysuru vegetable farmers, leading to yield decline, price increase, and middlemen profiting.

The searing heat in the region has impacted the vegetable farmers who see a decline in yield besides withering of new crops in the absence of adequate moisture and water.

As a result vegetable prices have also increased but farmers do not benefit as it is the middle men who corner bulk of the benefits.

“Vegetable cultivation has taken a hit as no water is being released through the canals while the yield from the borewells is also less as the groundwater table has plummeted,” said Mr. Nagaraj, a vegetable farmer and member of a farmers’ producers cooperative called Raitha Mitra.

He cited the example of tomato which is cultivated over a large swathe of land in and around Mysuru and said that farmers may not be able to recover their investment if the persistent heat continues. Similarly, plantain cultivation has also taken a hit and the yield has declined due to lack of adequate moisture during the growth and maturity stage of the standing crop.

Farmers believe that if there was no rain for another 15 to 20 days, vegetable yield will further decline while the prices will soar up.

Bulk of the vegetable cultivation takes place in and around Mysuru to cater to the city but farmers are not able to meet normal demand as the crops are also withering, he added. As a result prices of some of the vegetables have increased and on Thursday beans were being procured from farmers at ₹115 per kg, said Mr. Nagaraj. Add the middlemen’s commission and transportation cost and the consumer may end up paying a higher rate.

To meet the vegetable demand, agents are procuring it from other places including Hassan, Chikkamagalur, etc., where the situation is no better either, said Mr. Nagaraj.