In Bangarapete taluk, cabbage farmers, grappling with a drastic drop in prices, have resorted to destroying their own crops to express their frustration and helplessness.
Farmers from numerous villages in the taluk, including Gullahalli, Chikkankandahalli, Mittahalli, and Aniganahalli, initially cultivated short-duration cabbage with hopes of higher income. However, as the market witnessed a significant fall in cabbage prices, many farmers have ended up destroying their produce and abandoning their fields. Some have regrettably left cabbages to wither in the fields as they lack the funds to cover harvesting costs. A few farmers, who once believed in their crop as a boon, have now opted to sell their cabbage at throwaway prices.
The price of cabbage in local markets has plummeted to just ₹1 per kilogram. Farmers who cut their crops for sale face overwhelming costs that render recovery impossible. As a result, instead of harvesting, they are converting entire fields into fertilizer using tillers. Others, although still burdened by expenses, are cutting the cabbage merely to clear the fields, with some left to dry out in the sun. In several areas, goats and sheep are seen grazing on the abandoned cabbage fields.
Due to inconsistent rainfall, crops had already faced challenges earlier. Despite power shortages, farmers worked diligently day and night to water their crops, ensuring their survival while exerting considerable effort to maintain healthy growth. However, with the ongoing price collapse, the efforts of the farmers seem to have gone to waste, lamented farmer Kondaappa from Gullahalli.
Many farmers had planted cabbage over large tracts of land, now experiencing significant financial losses. To safeguard farmers' interests, Girish Gowda from Chikkankandahalli village stressed the need for the state to adopt agricultural policies similar to those in Kerala.
