Ginger farmers stare at an uncertain future
The Hindu
Pandemic and crop diseases result in low demand for the produce
Uncertainties in the market triggered by the pandemic have cast a pall over thousands of farmers who have cultivated ginger in Wayanad and parts of Karnataka. Besides, low demand for the produce and crop diseases are reasons for poor prices, sources said. A sharp fall in export to Bangladesh and very few enquiries from north India have also contributed to the crisis. An average of 30 trucks used to transport the produce from ginger growing regions in Karnataka to Bangladesh, but the number has dropped to five to 10 a day, said Praveen Antony, a trader from Chennai. The demand in the domestic market too is low, he added.The election authorities are gearing up for the counting of votes cast in the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to be held on June 4. The Collectors and Election Officers of Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts said on May 23 (Thursday) that their teams were ready for the counting of votes.
Responding to the prolonged water scarcity, the residents of the area took to the streets in protest on Wednesday. The protest, which drew attention to their plight, stopped only after the intervention of the police. It was not until 1.30 p.m. that a 4000-litre tanker was finally delivered by BWSSB, providing relief to the water-starved residents.