NASHIK: Untimely rains, excess cultivation and other negatives have damaged the prospects of grape farmers in Nashik district, where the fruit is the mainstay of the agricultural economy, accounting for about 50 per cent of the country's production.
Prolonged rains last year delayed the cutting of grapes till October, a month later than usual. As a result, the fruit reached markets behind schedule. “This delay coincided with a bumper crop of oranges from Nagpur,” explains Balasaheb Kshirsagar, chairman of the Nashik division of the Maharashtra Rajya Draksha Bagayitdar Sangh, a growers' organisation.
This year, the problem is one of plenty. There has been a bumper crop and, with many farmers opting for grape production and a big increase in the acreage of grape-growing land, a glut is killing prices and affecting everybody in the business.
The troubles for farmers do not end there. Says Vasudeorao Kathe, a grape grower: “Production cost have increased manifold and prices have fallen. The farmer is left to suffer.” About 1 lakh acres of land in Nashik district is under grape (table variety) cultivation, yielding an average of 10 tonnes per acre. The production cost is Rs70,000-Rs80,000 per acre for locally sold grapes and Rs1.2 lakh a acre for the export-quality kind. About 2 per cent of these grapes are exported.
This year, prices have fallen by 25-30 per cent. Farmers get an average of between Rs7 and Rs10 per kilo of grapes, depending on variety and quality (normally this price fluctuates between Rs12 and Rs20). For export-quality grapes, the rate is Rs20-28 per kg (the usual rate is Rs25-35 per kg). “The grape season ends by April and with 40 per cent of the crop still to be sold,” says Kshirsagar. Many organisations have demanded a support price by the government, but that has fallen on deaf years.
Grapes from Nashik are exported to England, Holland, Germany, Russia, Belgium, the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. “We need to expand our export base to neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan as well,” says Kshirsagar.
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