Farmers in Madhya Pradesh dump guavas in garbage vehicle as prices crash

A video showing a group of farmers dumping freshly-harvested guavas into a civic garbage collection vehicle here has gone viral on social media, with the experts saying that a bumper crop of the fruit this year has resulted in its prices falling.

The wholesale prices of this vitamin C-rich fruit at Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Fruit and Vegetable Market in Indore currently ranges between Rs 4 and Rs 10 per kilo, sources in the market said on Sunday.

Farm sector experts said the prices of guava have nosedived due to its abundant crop, which is ultimately causing losses to the cultivators.

Due to the falling prices, disappointed farmers are leaving behind the fruits in the market after finding that they are not getting enough returns.

The farmers know that transporting the fruits back was not beneficial due to the costs involved, they added.

Talking to PTI, Rajesh Patel, who grows this fruit in Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam district, said, “The bumper guava harvest in Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and other states has sent its prices crashing.” The wholesale market of guava in Delhi, which supplies this fruit to the northern part of the country, has been hit hard due to the coronavirus situation there, he said.

Country guavas perish in three-four day after being plucked, he added.