With buyers away, watermelon growers stare at loss
DEOGARH: For watermelon farmers of Deogarh district, this summer is going to be a difficult one. Although they were hopeful of cashing in on the bumper yield, the farmers are now apprehending loss due to the lockdown. Buyers are not coming forward to procure the produce due to restriction on transportation.
Farmers said even as watermelons are ready to be harvested, the fruits cannot reach the wholesale markets in time. As many as 180 farmers have undertaken watermelon cultivation over 210 hectare (ha) of land in 25 villages of Barkote, Tileibani and Reamal block under the district in the current rabi season. Watermelon cultivation starts in the district in December and harvesting of the fruits begins in the second week of February and continues till May. On an average around 10 metric tonne (MT) of watermelon is produced from one hectare of land.
According to official reports, around 60 MT of watermelons had been procured from the district before the lockdown was imposed. However, around 160 MT of watermelons which are ready for sale, are lying in the agricultural lands. Farmers are not harvesting them in the absence of buyers.
A farmer Susanta Sahu of Mardang village in Barkote block, who has cultivated watermelons for the first time, said he has grown the fruit over three acres of land. The watermelons which are in harvesting stage are lying in the farmland in the absence of buyers. Some of the fruits have been damaged, Sahu said, adding that he had spoken to five traders from Bihar and West Bengal to sell his fruits but they could not turn up due to the lockdown.
Another farmer Khirasindu Swain of Gunduruposi village in Tileibani block cultivated watermelons on four acres of land. Some buyers had assured him that they would reach the village in the fourth week of March but they could not come. “The watermelons are ripe. If I do not sell them now, I will face heavy loss”, he said.
Assistant Director of Horticulture, Deogarh, Kishore Kumar Mahaling said they had linked the farmers with organised retailers like Reliance Fresh, Mother Diary Natraj Foods and Big Bazar for procurement of watermelons. Currently, the retail outlets are not interested to procure the fruits due to transportation bottlenecks. “Moreover, purchase of fruits has come down as people are giving priority to essential food items during the lockdown period, which is also a reason behind the organised retailers denying to procure the watermelon”, he added.
Keeping an eye on the current situation, the horticulture wing has asked the farmers to sell watermelons in local market. The State Government has directed police not to stop the vehicles carrying agricultural produces, he said.