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Harsola scripts tale in cauliflower farming -Rajesh Jauhri

-The Times of India

MHOW: Faced with problem of lean margins for their produce in local markets, farmers of Harsola and adjoining villages in Mhow tehisl came together and tied up with middleman outside the state to become most prominent suppliers of quality produce to Delhi and Gujarat.

In less than three years, nondescript villages have become hub of cauliflower trading and are now famously called gobhi gaon. It is a tale of hard labour and farmers had to break nexus of brokers and find better market.

"Around 130 tonnes of cauliflower is sent to Delhi and Gujarat every day," said former village sarpanch Satyanarayan Parmar.

He remembers the time when farmers of nearby villages, including Datoda, Memdi, Ambachandan, Bhagora, Chordiya and Neuguradiya were forced to destroy crop in the absence of buyers.

"The sale was limited to Indore and nearby markets," Parmar said. Poor demand often led to plunging prices of cauliflower.

Failing to meet two ends, farmers were frustrated. This was the time when brokers of Delhi, arrived here in search of good pumpkins, stumbled upon quality of cauliflower produced in the region.

After initial sales, farmers were flooded with fresh orders mandis in Delhi, Baroda, Ahmadabad, Bharuch, Mehsana and Valsad.

"We adopted better farming techniques to improve quality of cauliflower. Farmers tied up with cow-sheds to use organic fertilizers and perticides. The result was dramatic," Parmar said.

Today, a farmer gets Rs 1,300 for a quintal of cauliflower sold in Delhi or Gujarat. This is nearly five times what he received a few years ago in local market. At present, local procurement price of cauliflower from local market is Rs 600-800 per quintal.

The cauliflower produced in more than a dozen villages of the area is being brought to Harsola and from there, it is being sent to parts of the country.

Ravi Kaushal, a vegetable broker in Mhow local market told that he used to mediate deals between farmers of Harsola and local traders, but now farmers straightway refuse to sell it in local market as they are getting good price outside.

Farmers are now planning to form a cooperative society to handle trading in other states and thus raise their profits.