Tripura farmers, especially vegetable growers of Kalyanpur are happy with production during the winter season and relatively remunerative returns.
Improvement in Agri-infrastructure and transport systems have contributed to augmented production and better earnings for vegetable growers of Kalyanpur area under Khowai district in Tripura. Several areas in Kalyanpur – Bagabbazar, East Kalyanpur, Ghilatali, South Ghilatali, Baghber, Kunjaban – are famous for vegetable, especially winter vegetable cultivation.
This year was no exception and winter vegetables were grown in quantities. Utilizing the agri-facilities, Kalyanpur farmers grew cabbage and other vegetables this year in large quantities. Better quality seeds and assistance from the agri-department personnel along with the availability of irrigation facility pushed the production graph upward.
“This year, cabbage production increased compared to previous years. This became possible because of agri-conducive ambiance and facilities like irrigation. Weather god also did not create many problems. Moreover, we got better quality seeds. All these combined together, increased the cabbage production in Kalyanpur area during last winter season”, opined a Ghilatali based vegetable grower, Biswajit Shil.
The increase in vegetable production helped to address the local demand as well as capitalizing enhanced transport facilities, vegetables including cabbage were transported to other markets in the State.
“Improvement in transport system came as a boon to Kalyanpur farmers. Without a better transport system, increase production would create excess supply in the market which in turn would lead to a price fall and farmers would face huge losses. However, this year, farmers supplied in local markets as well as supplied in adjoining markets, maintaining a balance between demand and supply. This became possible due to enhance transport facilities”, commented a farmer of Policepara, Arun Das.
Farmers claimed that vegetable growers reaped a good return initially. “With the onset of winter, market prices of vegetables, especially the cabbage prices was suitably placed for farmers. However, as the times passed, profit margins took a dip as cabbage became under-priced, lamented Arun Das.
Despite a reduction in profit margin – or even in some cases, farmers are incurring losses, on average, this year vegetable growers of Kalyanpur area enjoyed relatively a better season, farmers of Ghilatali said
