Ginger farmers to get relief as govt fixes support price

CH NEWS

Shivamogga

In an effort to support ginger farmers facing financial distress due to plummeting prices, the Central Government will procure fresh ginger at a rate of ₹2,445 per quintal under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) for the year 2024–25. Deputy Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde made this announcement while presiding over a district-level meeting to discuss the opening of procurement centers.

He stated that ginger is mainly cultivated in Soraba, Sagar, Shikaripura, Hosanagara, and Thirthahalli taluks in the district. To ensure farmers have easy access, he instructed officials to establish procurement centers in every taluk at locations that are convenient for cultivators.

As per the scheme guidelines, a total of 59,948 metric tonnes of FAQ (Fair Average Quality) ginger will be procured from selected districts including Mysuru, Hassan, Haveri, Shivamogga, Bidar, Chikkamagaluru, Mandya, Kodagu, and Chamarajanagar. The Central Government has capped the maintenance cost at ₹611.25 per quintal, and all expenses must be managed within this budget.

The Karnataka State Cooperative Marketing Board has been appointed as the official purchasing agency. Deputy Commissioner Hegde directed the agency to strictly follow the MIS guidelines and to use established farmer networks such as PACS, VSSNs, FPOs, and APCMS with adequate technical and scientific storage facilities.

Each farmer is allowed to sell up to 30 quintals of ginger per acre, with a maximum limit of 60 quintals. Hegde also urged eligible farmers to begin the registration process immediately to take advantage of the scheme. The procurement process will commence alongside the registration.