NASHIK: The farmers’ profit levels have begun to decline due to the fall in the prices of agricultural commodities. Farmers have started prioritising sugarcane cultivation as it is a guaranteed price-assured crop. As the sugarcane cultivation area is increasing, it is necessary to restart the factories.
In the eastern part of the taluka and especially in the Darna belt, several farmers prefer the cultivation of vegetable crops on a large scale. However, since these cash crops are not getting the required market price for the last three years, the financial status of farmers has deteriorated. Therefore, the farmers are preferring sugarcane cultivation as it already has an established base price.
During the summer and beginning of the rainy season, farmers planted cabbage, cauliflower, tomato, cucumber, fenugreek, coriander, spinach, and other items on a large scale. Various types of medicines and fertilizers were used to produce excellent quality goods. However, due to fluctuations in the market, farmers had to sell their goods at exorbitant prices sometimes and at times, needed to sell while suffering several losses.
Therefore, considering sugarcane as a sustainable yielding crop, farmers have shifted their focus to the crop. Since all the cooperative sugar factories in the district except Kadwa were closed, the area under sugarcane cultivation had decreased in the last few years.
However, the farmers have once again emphasised the need to restart factories as they prefer sugarcane crops over others. Some parts of the produce can be given to sugar mills and others for animal fodder. Sugarcane cultivation is now preferred as the yield is higher than that of vegetable crops.
Although the dry season is over, farmers are demanding large-scale sowing for pre-seasonal planting to begin in October. Registration and enquiry have already started in this regard.
