JEYPORE: Bumper harvest notwithstanding, the price of ginger in Koraput markets has jumped to Rs 120 per kg this year, pinching the pockets of local consumers.
The sudden price rise is reportedly because middlemen have procured the produce from local cultivators at better rates and selling it to neighbouring states at a much higher price.
The price is almost double of what it was last year as truckloads of ginger are regularly being transported to Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala. “We earlier bought ginger at Rs 40-Rs 50 per kg from farmers but this year it has increased to around Rs 100 per kg due to export of the produce,” said Rama Gouda, a vegetable vendor of Jeypore.
Notably, marketing agency ORMAS has not been able to procure ginger this year due to its high price. “Farmers are getting better prices from middlemen and are hence reluctant to sell it to us like they did previously,” said an officer of ORMAS Koraput.
Ginger cultivation is usually undertaken in hilly areas of Koraput, Dasmantpur, Nandapur, Lamtaput, Semiliguda and Pottangi where it is grown over 4,000 acre land.