Bhawanipatna: Though this winter has been a bumper season for mustard farmers in Kalahandi district, it has brought no cheers on their faces. Lack of marketing facilities for mustard is pushing them to middlemen who exploit them.
Most farmers in the area have chosen cultivation of mustard for this Rabi season as it promises higher returns with lesser investment and labour compared to others. The government claims that it has implemented many welfare schemes for farmers and KALIA is the latest which was launched ahead of elections.
However, mustard farmers here are facing several problems due to lack of marketing facilities, cold storage and menace of middlemen. They hold the government responsible for this.
According to reports, mustard has been an alternative cash crop in the district for two decades. Farmers of T Rampur and Lanjigarh block have been cultivating mustard for last 20 years.
Tribal families in these blocks depend on subsistence agriculture. Mustard growing is their livelihood work. As the environment and land of the district are suitable for mustard farming, most of the farmers choose this crop.
Mustard is one of the important commercial grains grown abundantly in this district. It is processed for manufacture of oil, mustard sauces and spices.
However, the irony is the government is not taking steps for procurement of mustard and there are no procurement centres in the district for mustard farmers. There are no marketing facilities for mustard farmers in the district leaving them at the mercy of middlemen, farmers here alleged.
The middlemen, adopting barter system, exchange less amount of rice against more mustard seeds from farmers.
Additionally, poor communication facility is another hurdle in the path of economic growth of mustard farmers. This year farmers from T Rampur, Peramanji, Karlapata, Gunpur and Gopalpur have cultivated mustard but lack of communication to these blocks has resulted in their produce remaining unsold.
As there are no procurement facilities made by the government in the district, farmers are bound to sell mustard seeds to middlemen for Rs 20 to 30 per kg.
Farmers of Karlapata area said it is difficult to clear their loan burden as they are selling the produce at throwaway prices to the traders. Even though poor tribals contribute a major portion to the state’s total mustard output yet they sell it at a much lesser price than the MSP for mustard seeds.
Farmers have urged the government to arrange proper markets for them so that their economic condition will improve.