Meghalaya farmers give away cabbage free as prices crash to ₹2/kg

Shillong, July 16: Farmers in Meghalaya on Thursday distributed cabbage free of cost to the public, saying they were forced to do so as market prices had fallen well below the cost of production.

Holding a banner reading, “Free distribution of cabbage to the public… But the time will come when we may have to give up farming because it has become too difficult to farm,” members of the Hill Farmers Union (HFU) sought to draw attention to the growing distress in the farming community.

HFU president Commander Shangpliang said cabbage is currently fetching just ₹2 per kg, making it uneconomical for farmers to sell their produce.

“When prices fall this low, selling is meaningless. This is our way of showing the government and the public how farmers are suffering,” he said.

The union demanded that the state government constitute a committee to scientifically assess the cost of cultivation and ensure farmers receive remunerative prices.

According to Shangpliang, if the production cost is ₹10 per kg, farmers should receive at least ₹11 per kg to earn a modest profit.

The HFU also called for the introduction of a Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) for all agricultural commodities. Referring to the government’s earlier intervention for broomsticks, Shangpliang said a similar mechanism should compensate farmers for the difference between production cost and prevailing market prices.

“If the production cost is ₹10 and the market price is only ₹2, the government should compensate farmers with the remaining ₹8 so they are not forced to incur losses,” he said.

Warning that the price crash has pushed many farming families into financial distress, Shangpliang said several farmers are struggling to meet household expenses, including paying their children’s school fees.

The union urged the government to take immediate steps to stabilise prices and ensure farming remains a viable and sustainable livelihood in the state.

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