Bhopal: Farmers in the Multai region of Betul district in Madhya Pradesh are facing severe distress after coriander prices plummeted to as low as Rs 1 per kg, forcing many to destroy their ready crop instead of harvesting it.
Unable to recover even the basic input cost of production, cultivators in villages including Duni, Sipawa, Barkheda and Mohi have started running cultivators over standing coriander fields. Hundreds of acres of mature crop are being destroyed in this manner.
Farmers say selling at the current market rate does not cover the expenses of harvesting, labour, packing and transportation. Farmers from the affected villages told IANS that mandi prices have crashed to Rs 1 per kg. At this rate, they cannot recover the cost of cultivation, packaging, handling or transport.
“What is the point of spending money on labour and transport when the crop will not even fetch the cost of harvesting?” asked one farmer.
Photographs and videos circulating on social media show cultivators flattening green fields of coriander, underscoring the scale of the crisis.
The sharp fall in prices has left growers in deep financial trouble. Many had invested significant amounts in seeds, fertilisers, irrigation and labour, only to find the market offering rates far below production costs. With no remunerative return in sight, destroying the crop has become a desperate last resort for several families.
Speaking to IANS, District Collector Saurabh Sanjay Sonwane said the matter had not yet come to his notice, but assured that possible support would be extended if the situation is confirmed.
Farmers are demanding that the government announce a minimum support price (MSP) mechanism for coriander to protect them from such extreme price volatility. They argue that without assured procurement or price stabilisation measures, spice crops like coriander remain highly vulnerable to market fluctuations.
The destruction of standing crops represents not only a direct loss to farmers but also raises concerns about wastage of agricultural produce.
Multai is not a major coriander‑producing area. Guna and Neemuch are considered the principal production centres in Madhya Pradesh, with Guna known for its ‘Kumbhraj’ variety, which is also exported to certain countries, according to the Economic Survey of Madhya Pradesh (2025‑26).
Total coriander production of Madhya Pradesh stood at 4,84,787.87 tonnes from an acreage of 1,17,498.65 hectares according to the first estimate of 2024‑25, as noted in the Economic Survey 2025‑26.
The Economic Survey notes that the total area under spices rose from 9.07 lakh hectares in 2023‑24 to 9.42 lakh hectares in 2024‑25, while production increased from 55.38 lakh metric tonnes to 57.43 lakh metric tonnes. The major spices produced in the state are red chilli, garlic, coriander and ginger.
(IANS)
