In Mysuru district India, reportedly, the farmers are being asked to not cultivate ginger while shifting to horticulture crops. Instead of realizing the ginger cultivation’s environmental effects, the authorities have asked to dissuade ginger production due to a drop in its market value. Ginger crop demands the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which causes damage to the fertility of the soil.
Price imbalance, farmers suffering a great loss!
There is a contract farming for ginger since the farmers need to sign a contract for growing it. In Mysore, Chamarajanagar, and Shivamogga, these ginger crops are raised on leased lands. The farmers from Kerala saw economic remuneration for these crops and found an opportunity to increase their capital by growing ginger. As a result, the ginger growing area increased, and production increased leading to lower prices. “Although a 60 kg ginger bag cost about R4,000 to R5,000 two years ago, it has now dropped to R400,” said Vivek Cariappa, an HD Kote band producer.
There were several campaigns by the agricultural department to raise awareness among the farmers and to promote horticulture crop production and sericulture. Mysore MP Pratap Sinha has said that there was a special arrangement of the textile park to sell the cotton crops.
Moreover, Mr. Cariappa said, the shift from cotton production to ginger production has caused a great imbalance in the prices of these crops. Since a large number of farmers shifted from cotton to ginger, the price of cotton increased due to lack of its production, hence farmers suffered a huge loss!
There is also concern that the chemicals and pesticides used in ginger production will have an impact on groundwater quality without polluting the river by using water from fields flowing into the river below the river.