B’NGIR MANGO FARMERS RESORT TO DISTRESS SALE Tuesday, 13 June 2017 | PNS | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

B’NGIR MANGO FARMERS RESORT TO DISTRESS SALE

Tuesday, 13 June 2017 | PNS | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

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Even as this year the Balangir district has recorded a good mango crop yield bringing cheer to the farmers, the absence of adequate storage space and marketing facility have led to distress sale.

Much to the mango farmers’ woes, it is the middlemen and traders who are reaping the benefit, by offering less price to the farmers and selling mango at higher prices in markets.

The local traders offer Rs 1,000-Rs 1,200 per quintal of mango to the farmers whereas they sell mango at Rs 3,000 per quintal. Thus they get three times of what they pay to the farmers.

The low price offered by traders to mango farmers has hit them hard.

They are at a loss as to what to do? There is no storage facility in the district. Moreover the marketing support and linkage from district administration is not available in the district.

The Koraput district administration has taken good steps to prevent distress sale of mangoes, said president of Balangir Zilla Krushak Surakshya Sangathan Arun Mishra

The apathy of the Balangir district administration and local politicians towards the issue is disgusting, lamented a farmer.

Meanwhile, the locals warned that farmers could resort to suicide unless necessary measures were not taken immediately to ensure betterremunerative prices

to them.