Jhabua (Madhya Pradesh): The watermelon farmers of Jhabua have suffered huge loss as its production cost has exceeded its wholesale price in the market. Reason: Unseasonal rain, which significantly reduced the watermelon demand.
The cost of producing watermelon has risen to Rs 6 per kg, while the wholesale price is only Rs 4.5 to Rs 5 per kg, resulting in a loss for farmers. As a result, farmers have refused to sell them and instead prefer feeding the watermelons to their cattle.
District president of Bharatiya Kisan Union, Mahendra Hamad, believes that the prices of the produce are continuously falling.
SDO of Horticulture Department, Suresh Enwati, says that the demand for watermelon has decreased due to unseasonal rains.
The situation is dire for watermelon farmers, as watermelon has joined the list of agricultural produce with falling prices leading to despair in the agricultural community. It costs around Rs 41,500 to cultivate watermelon in one bigha, including expenses for tractors, debris, plants, medicine, and labour.
The demand for watermelon, which is usually high during the summer season, has also decreased significantly. Last year, watermelon was cultivated in 1800 hectares of land, but this year it has increased to 2000 hectares. However, the demand has plummeted.
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