Sindh farmers dump Rs4b in vegetables after lockdown halts supply
Farmers in rural areas of Sindh have begun dumping their vegetable crops because demand has taken a nose dive.
Their crops are all ready with no where to go due to the country-wide lockdown imposed because of the coronavirus.
Speaking to SAMAA TV on Thursday, Sindh Abadgar Board Vice-Chairperson Muhammad Nawaz Shah said farmers have suffered a loss of approximately Rs4 billion to Rs5 billion.
It is mainly because they have the capacity to store only 10% of the reaped vegetables.
“At a mild temperature, you can not save such a big amount of vegetables from going bad,” he said. He added that a lack of buyers and absence of goods transporters compounded their misery.
A farmer said he is forced to dump the vegetables because they have to get the land ready for the next phase of sowing. Cattle are being given the crops to eat.
Meanwhile, the prices of tomatoes, cauliflower, gourds, potatoes and onions have dropped more than 50% at vegetable markets across the province.
Farmers fear that they might have to brace for more financial losses if the lockdown continues.
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