Tonnes of cabbage rot in Nagaland's Phek district as buyer shortage and Manipur conflict leave farmers facing heavy losses
KOHIMA — Razeba Range in Phek district, one of Nagaland's largest cabbage-producing areas, is facing a crisis as tonnes of cabbage are rotting in fields due to a lack of buyers, leaving farmers staring at heavy losses.
Zhavame, the largest village in Razeba Range, relies heavily on cabbage cultivation for livelihoods, with almost every household engaged in farming.
A member of Zhavame village told Eastern Mirror that despite a bumper harvest this year, farmers have been unable to find buyers and large quantities of cabbage have been left to rot in the fields.
He said that farmers are selling a 36-40 kg sack of cabbage for just INR 130 to INR 150, translating to less than INR 4 per kg. Even at that price, however, there are hardly any buyers.
"In the absence of cold storage facilities, harvested cabbage rots the very next day, leaving farmers devastated. The government may be 'talking big' and encouraging farmers to cultivate crops and vegetables, but at the end of the day, farmers are the real victims," he said.
According to him, the situation was very different in previous years, when most of their produce was sold in Manipur. He shared that buyers would often visit the village and book entire cabbage fields in advance.
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However, owing to the ongoing conflict in Manipur, the ‘traditional market’ has collapsed, leaving farmers with no viable outlet for their produce.
An official from the department of Horticulture said that the department had not received any formal grievance or report from the affected farmers. However, after learning about the situation through social media, a team was dispatched on Tuesday to assess the situation.
The official urged affected farmers to report such issues to the department so that appropriate assistance could be extended.
Led by the district horticulture officer (DHO), the team visited the affected area to assess the extent of the losses. The official explained that after receiving the team's report, the department would submit its findings to the government and recommend necessary assistance.
Citing the DHO's preliminary assessment, the official said that until last year, around 70% to 80% of the cabbage produced in the area was sold in Manipur, while the remaining 20% was marketed within Nagaland.
However, due to the continuing conflict in Manipur, buyers from the neighbouring state did not turn up this season. The official also said that favourable early monsoon showers resulted in a bumper harvest this year, compounding the problem as the increased production coincided with the collapse of the primary market.