Overproduction leads to distress sale of cauliflower in Bengal

If you’re looking for a “phool kopi” of disaster that vegetable farmers in West Bengal are facing, look no farther than their surplus cauliflower crop. 

Grown in the mild winter on the Indian plains, this popular veggie stars in several delectable dishes.

But phool kopi, as cauliflower is known in West Bengal, is leaving a bitter taste in the mouth of farmers because of overproduction, lack of cold storage and an exponential rise in the price of fertilizers and pesticides. These are driving down prices and leaving growers in distress.

“I had sown cauliflower in my entire land expecting a good profit. But the situation is very bad and I’m forced to sell my entire produce at a loss. I’ve never faced such a situation before in my life,” said Mohammad Karim, 45, of Chinapukur village in South 24 Parganas district, around 40km from Kolkata.

He cultivates cauliflower, capsicum, tomato and other vegetables on his 15 cottahs of land, but so far the new year is sowing seeds of sorrow. 

He has been forced to sell around 1,300 cauliflowers for just Rs 3,600 that translates to Rs 2.76 apiece, which is lower than the production cost of Rs 3.50 for each cauliflower. 

Cauliflower farmers facing severe losses 

Karim’s misfortune personifies the fate of farmers across West Bengal who had invested heavily in the winter vegetable. 

A 50kg bag of fertiliser used to cost Rs 750 last year. It’s now skyrocketed to Rs 1,300. The price of pesticides, which must be sprayed thrice a week, has increased from Rs 50 to Rs 100. 

It’s a supply and demand problem. Most farmers are saddled with a surplus. 

In West Bengal the total area under cauliflower cultivation is around 57,000 hectares. The state has so far produced 1.670 million metric tonnes of the crop with an average productivity of 2.93 metric tonnes for each hectare. Around 40,000 people are involved in vegetable farming in Bhangar 1 and 2 blocks of South 24 Parganas district alone. 

Sowing starts in October and the first crop is ready to be harvested after 50-55 days. 

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Farmer Mohid Laskar, 47, said last year’s good income from cauliflower encouraged many to go for the kill this season. The outcome is overproduction and fall in prices. 

“Many farmers had stayed away from farming because Covid-linked financial shortcomings. Production was fewer and prices increased dramatically. We got Rs 22 for one piece. This drove villagers to cauliflower farming,” he said.

The situation changed this year. Farmers have been forced to dump the vegetable for a pittance – sometimes as low as 50 paisa apiece.

Rising input cost

Farmers blame the rising cost of chemical fertilisers and pesticides for eating into their profit margin.

“A 50kg bag of fertiliser used to cost Rs 750 last year. It’s now skyrocketed to Rs 1,300. The price of pesticides, which must be sprayed thrice a week, has increased from Rs 50 to Rs 100.  The farmhands hired for harvesting cauliflower charge Rs 400 to Rs 500 a day, as opposed to Rs 300 last year,” said farmer Siddique Mollah, 59. 

Looking sadly at his lush crop, Siddique wonders if it is better to dump the cauliflower in the field rather than take them to the market and suffer losses. 

“I will keep them for the livestock,” he decides. 

Farmers also complained about the absence of cold storage in the district. 

“We have to sell the cauliflower three days after harvest or it will rot. A cold storage could have helped us to store our produce and sell them at an opportune time when the demand is high. Cauliflower is now available throughout the year, despite being a winter vegetable. During summers, the vegetable comes from other states. We could have sold it had there been a cold storage nearby,” said Asif Khan, 39, a farmer of Kathjala village. 

Broccoli not a substitute 

Some farmers are growing broccoli and Chinese cabbage, instead of cauliflower, but they too are in the soup because of mounting production costs. 

“We don’t have a local market for broccoli because people prefer cauliflower. Broccoli is currently fetching Rs 10 apiece, while cauliflower sells at Rs 2 for each piece in wholesale markets. Broccoli and Chinese cabbage require more fertiliser. A good marketing support can help broccoli farmers,” said Hafijur Rahman, 45, a farmer of Chinapukur village.

Hafijur is managing to stave off the pulls and pressures of his trade because his clientele is usually restaurants in Kolkata and exporters. 

Still, he fears these won’t do much for his bottom line as more farmers are pivoting towards broccoli and Chinese cabbage.  

Kamal Dey, president of the West Bengal Vendor’s Association, sympathises. 

“Farmers are even ready to sell truckloads of cauliflowers (1,000 pieces) for just Rs 500 to save transportation and labour cost,” he said.

The lead image at the top shows abundant production of cauliflower in West Bengal farms (Photo by Gurvinder Singh)

Gurvinder Singh is a journalist based in Kolkata.