In an extraordinary act of protest against collapsing farm-gate prices, farmers from the Khasi Hills distributed fresh cabbages free of cost in Shillong on Wednesday, saying it was better to give away their produce “with love” than sell it for just ₹2 per kilogram.
The initiative, organised by the Hill Farmer Union, saw two vehicles loaded with cabbages arrive at the State Central Library premises, where members distributed the vegetables to the public. The protest was aimed at highlighting the severe financial distress faced by farmers following a prolonged crash in cabbage prices.
Hill Farmer Union President Commerder Shangpliang said selling cabbage at ₹2 per kilogram was no different from giving it away.
“We want the government and the public to understand the hardships farmers are facing. After months of hard work and investment, we are left with virtually nothing,” he said.
Shangpliang urged the state government to constitute a committee to assess the cost of agricultural production and introduce measures to protect farmers when market prices collapse. He also called for the implementation of the Market Intervention Scheme, recalling that similar assistance had been provided to broomstick growers during an earlier price crisis.
Questioning the huge gap between farm-gate and retail prices, he asked why consumers continue to pay around ₹30 per kilogram while farmers receive only ₹2. “The government must investigate who is benefiting from this price difference,” he said.
The union’s General Secretary, A. Kharsyntiew, said farmers across East Khasi Hills and West Khasi Hills have been badly affected by the price slump, which has persisted for nearly two months.
“The farmers told us they no longer want to harvest their crops because the costs of harvesting, packaging, transportation and labour are far higher than the returns,” he said.
Explaining the scale of the losses, Kharsyntiew said cultivating cabbage on 100 nur of land costs approximately ₹60,000 and typically produces around six tonnes of cabbage. At the current market price of ₹2 per kilogram, the total revenue amounts to only ₹12,000, leaving farmers with a loss of nearly ₹48,000.
He added that many farmers have also begun receiving loan repayment notices from banks, further worsening their financial situation.
“Instead of allowing the vegetables to rot in the fields, the farmers decided to distribute them to the people. We grew these crops with love, so we are giving them away with love. Let the public judge why farmers earn only ₹2 per kilogram while the same cabbage sells for nearly ₹30 in the market,” Kharsyntiew said.
Following the protest, leaders of the Hill Farmer Union met the Deputy Commissioner and urged the administration to monitor market prices more closely. They demanded strict oversight of the supply chain, arguing that while farmers are forced to sell at extremely low prices, consumers continue to pay much higher rates.
The union said the protest was intended to draw attention to the deepening crisis in the agricultural sector and called for immediate government intervention to ensure fair prices and protect farmers’ livelihoods.
