Nepal’s Bandagobhi Farmers Struggle with Low Prices

Bandagobhi (also known as cabbage) farming is a major source of income for farmers in the western region of Tehrathum and the upper region of Dhankuta district. However, despite increased production, farmers are struggling to make a profit due to low prices.

According to Lakpa Chhuti Sherpa, a farmer from Chhathar Gaunpalika-1, when prices are high, traders come to the villages and homes to buy bandagobhi, but when prices drop, traders disappear, and farmers are forced to search for buyers. Currently, farmers are selling bandagobhi for 7-9 rupees per kilogram, which is not enough to cover production costs.

Another farmer, Bikram Rai, says that the cost of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and labor has increased, but the price of bandagobhi has not. He adds that the lack of storage facilities and the absence of a proper market system force farmers to sell their produce at low prices.

The main problem faced by farmers is the uncertainty of the market. When production is high, traders lower the price, and farmers are forced to sell at a loss. The lack of availability of chemical fertilizers at the right time is also a major issue, as farmers are forced to buy fertilizers at high prices from private sellers.

The presence of middlemen is another problem, as they buy bandagobhi from farmers at low prices and sell it at higher prices in the market, making a profit at the expense of farmers.

Despite the problems, the market for bandagobhi is vast, with produce being sold in various markets in the eastern Tarai region, including Dhankuta, Itahari, Biratnagar, Damak, and Birtamod. The produce is also exported to neighboring countries like India.

However, the benefits of this vast market do not reach the farmers, who continue to struggle with low prices and high production costs. Farmers demand that the government provide them with timely fertilizers, fix a minimum support price for bandagobhi, control middlemen, and provide them with storage facilities and transportation facilities.

Unless these demands are met, farmers will continue to struggle, and the agricultural sector will not be sustainable. Farmers are not incapable of producing, but they need a proper market system and policies to support them.