Muskmelon growers face heavy losses

25% of the crop had been affected due to diseases

Muskmelon growers in the Jalandhar region are facing heavy losses due to a sharp fall in the prices in the wholesale market, even as the production has suffered this year due to virus infection and other diseases.

Though the muskmelon is available in the retail market at Rs 10-15 per kg, the fruit is being sold at around Rs 3 per kg in the wholesale market.

However, the first few consignments of muskmelon from the district fetched Rs 65,000 for every 10 tonnes. But later the fruit was traded as low as at Rs 28,000 for 10 tonnes.

The demand for the superior quality of the fruit was at Rs 35,000 for a consignment of 10 tonnes.

Tony, a farmer of the Madho Jhanda village, said last year the early crop was sold for as high as Rs 1,25,000 for 10 tonnes, but this year, it did not touch even Rs 70,000.

The price in the market is not enough to meet even the production costs, which have increased manifold recently, due to increase in prices of seeds and other material, according to him.

As regards reasons for the decline in the prices in such a short time, it was found that the inferior quality of the crop and the fall in demand from Srinagar, the biggest buyer of the crop from the region, were the two main factors.

Sukhjit Singh, a farmer from the Brindpur village who cultivated this fruit on 65 acres of land, said the quality of the fruit remained inferior this season due to diseases.

"The buyer was also not available easily for the produce of this region this year," he said.

Surjit Singh Sandhu, a progressive farmer of the district and the chairman, market committee, Kapurthala district, said at least 25 per cent of the crop had been affected in region due to diseases.

Due to diseases, the fruit was deformed and the netting on the fruit was also affected, he added.

"The crop sown in early February was affected up to 50 per cent due to virus, while the crop sown after February 15 was damaged only up to 20 per cent. Most of the crop sown after March 15 in the district remained disease-free," Sandhu said.