“Cumin cultivation is like gambling for us. The cost has increased manifold and prices were always low. That’s why farmers reduced the area under cumin and started sowing mustard and fenugreek. Now for the first time in many years it has made us profitable, so we are very relieved. But I don’t understand why farmers are benefiting from the increase in cumin prices. Why is everyone speaking against it. When we were suffering losses for so many years due to low prices, no one spoke.” This is to say of Karshan Bhai Jadeja, who is also a farmer and also the CEO of Banas Farmers Producers Company (DHFPC) with around 1600 members in Radhanpur district of Gujarat.

Jadeja was one of the 100 farmers who expressed both their joy and concern amid the alarming discussion over the rise in cumin prices. These farmers had come for a program organized by NCDEX IPT Trust. In the program, he told how he has managed his crop amid the ever-increasing price of cumin. B N Jha, Director (Marketing), Spices Board, Kochi, presided over the function.

Cost Rs 30,000 per acre

Babulal Bhai Thakor of Chorad FPC explains the cost of the crop, “On an average, we get 2 quintals of cumin in one acre, while it costs Rs 30,000 per acre. Transportation, bagging and labor costs are extra. Gone.” The Chorad FPC is in Banaskantha district and represents around 500 farmers.

Kanuba Bhai from Wadeyar FPC talked about the profit earned by the member farmers this year due to increase in cumin prices. He said, “The government is only concerned about the consumers. But tell me one thing, how much cumin is used in a household in a month. Not more than 200 grams. So if the price goes up from Rs 200 a kg to even Rs 1,000 a kg, the burden on the consumer will increase by only Rs 150 a month. So I don’t understand why everyone including the media and the government is talking about its impact and nobody is concerned about the income of the farmers.” The Wodeyar FPC comes from Patan district and has around 500 farmers as its members.

Questions raised on the problem of cost

Laxman Bhai, who came as a representative of Sami Vistar, another FPC from Patan with about 525 farmer members, raised the issue of increase in input costs for the farmers. “The cost of production has gone up because the prices of all inputs, including diesel, have gone up manifold in the last few years. For example, the price of DAP has increased from Rs 350 to Rs 1,350 and diesel has gone up from Rs 53 a liter to over Rs 100. So there should be no problem if the prices of cumin have risen to today’s levels,” he said.

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Talking to the farmers separately, Jha inquired about the price of cumin and other aspects of farming. He asked the farmers to pay attention to the quality and also said that they can seek help from Spices Board to export their produce directly as it will increase their income.