Big fall in ginger prices in Mysuru leave growers in distress

Mysuru: From Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 for a bag of 60kg last year, the prices of ginger have fallen to Rs 800 to Rs 900 this time, hitting the revenue of the growers. The prices are expected to skid further when the harvest starts this month.
According to the growers, in 2023, the ginger rates reached a historical high of Rs 9,000 for a 60kg bag. During this period, the police were flooded with complaints about ginger theft. But contrary to this, this year there are no takers for this crop, which is widely used in medicinal and spice preparations.
"Last year also the prices were average. But this year rates fell to such a level, where the growers will not get even the labour cost of harvesting," explain the growers.
In the old Mysuru region, ginger cultivation is carried out widely in all the districts. In most places, ginger is grown by outsiders who take the paddy field on an annual contract. Ginger takes 8 months from sowing to harvesting.
‘No dedicated market for ginger'
According to Hosur Kumar, leader of Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha, who is a ginger grower, there is no clarity on why the price is falling. "In Mysuru, there is no dedicated market for ginger. Traders from other states arrive and buy for the price they fix. There is no system to fix the price. Many times, such traders don't even pay the farmers," he alleged.
"We have approached the state govt seeking a dedicated market for ginger," he said.
Growers are demanding the state and central govt come out with a plan to stabilise the market. "Currently, unknown traders are only involved in buying the ginger, which negatively affects the prices. The need of the hour is a mechanism to regulate the market," said Ganganna, a grower from Hunsur.