Ginger growers in Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh, are demanding minimum support price (MSP) for their produce.
Ginger growers in Sirmaur district happen to be the country's largest producers of dry ginger.
However, in the past, they had incurred huge losses as they were not given the proper price for their produce.
Bella valley in Sirmaur region is famous for its different varieties of ginger. People of the area mainly depend on cultivating ginger for their livelihood.
Although ginger, the main cash crop of the area is now ready for transhipment to places across the country, the farmers are upset over the apathy of the state government towards them.
Sushil Kumar, a ginger grower, said, "We expect the government to give us proper facilities to meet market demand."
There is a great demand for ginger of Himachal Pradesh not only in India, but also in Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Middle East and several Central Asian countries.
Ginger grower Gulab Singh Sharma said, "Farmers face a lot of problems, including many related to the market. Local buyers give a price for our produce according to what they want to give and we are not able to sell our produce in far off markets to meet our overall costs."
{{/usCountry}}Ginger grower Gulab Singh Sharma said, "Farmers face a lot of problems, including many related to the market. Local buyers give a price for our produce according to what they want to give and we are not able to sell our produce in far off markets to meet our overall costs."
{{/usCountry}}India holds a predominant position in ginger production and export and offers ginger in a variety of forms like fresh ginger in brine, pickles, syrups, dry powder and also oils.
This cash crop is cultivated in 1800 hectares of land and the overall production is in the range of 24,000 tonnes.
A majority of farmers in Himachal Pradesh depend on apple, ginger, potato and several other fruits and vegetables as means of their livelihood.