Cattle Permitted to Feed on Lady’s Fingers & Tomatoes as Their Costs Rise

Farmers in Manur block have planted vegetables such as lady's fingers and tomatoes on over 250 acres after spending Rs 45,000 per acre on seeding, ploughing, weeding, and pesticide spraying. Cattle-eating lady's fingers plants in a field in Tirunelveli's Manur block.

Several farmers, who are only left with the option of selling lady's fingers and tomatoes at a throwaway price of Rs 4 and Rs 5 per kg, respectively, have allowed the vegetables to rot in the fields because they cannot even recoup the costs of raising the plants.

Farmers in the rain-fed Manur block have cultivated vegetables such as lady's fingers and tomatoes on over 250 acres after spending Rs 45,000 per acre on seeds, ploughing, weeding, and pesticide spraying. The prevailing weather conditions are favourable for growing vegetables because the northeast monsoon has brought only erratic drizzle to the district.

"Because the yield exceeded our expectations, traders purchase lady's fingers for Rs 4 per kg and tomatoes for Rs 5 per kg. We have decided to leave the vegetables in the fields and let our cattle feed on them because we cannot meet the expenses, including the plucking expenses," said Agni Madan, a farmer in Pallamadai near Manur. Because lady's fingers and tomatoes must be harvested on different days, the growers' expenses for plucking are very high, he added.

"During this season, we usually get Rs 20 per kg for lady's fingers and Rs 40 per kg for tomatoes, and these procurement prices would last until mid-January. This year, production has increased dramatically, lowering prices dramatically. As a result, we are not plucking tomato and lady's fingers, and our cattle are enjoying the fresh vegetables," said Pallamadai resident Kaliyammal.

According to the vegetable farmers, they lost more than Rs 50,000 per acre this year. A video of a farmer dumping a truckload of harvested lady's fingers on the roadside has gone viral after traders at Tirunelveli Town Vegetable Market offered only Rs 4 per kg.