Brinjal Farmers in Baragada Face Crisis as Prices Plummet

Farmers in Baragada district are grappling with a severe crisis as brinjal prices plummet to Rs 4-5 per kg, making it impossible for them to recover harvesting costs. Despite a good yield, inadequate marketing facilities and cold storage options have left many farmers in distress. Local growers are calling for government intervention to establish better marketing systems and provide compensation for their losses. As the state encourages a shift from paddy to vegetable cultivation, the lack of reliable market linkages continues to hinder their efforts. Read on to learn more about the challenges faced by these farmers and their urgent plea for support.

By Narendra Chaudhary Oct 30, 2026, 09:26 IST

Farmers Struggle with Falling Prices

Brinjal farmers in the Baragada district are currently enduring significant financial setbacks as the prices at which they can sell their produce have dropped to a mere Rs 4-5 per kilogram. This drastic decline has left many farmers unable to cover even their harvesting expenses, despite having a successful crop yield.

The situation has sparked worries regarding the lack of adequate marketing channels and cold storage facilities for perishable goods. This comes at a time when the state government is encouraging farmers to shift from traditional paddy farming to alternative crops. In Samakata village, located in the Sohela block, farmers reported a steep price drop from an initial Rs 20-30 per kilogram.

Tejaraj Sa, a local farmer, shared that he cultivated brinjal across three acres and achieved a good yield. However, the plummeting prices have rendered his harvest economically unfeasible. He lamented, “At this rate, we cannot even recover the cost of harvesting the brinjal.”

Another farmer, Balaram Pradhan, who grew brinjal and pointed gourd on 1.5 acres, mentioned that he invested between Rs 25,000 and Rs 30,000 per acre. He noted that traders are refusing to purchase black brinjal, while green brinjal is only selling for Rs 4-5 per kilogram.

Pradhan expressed frustration, stating that farmers are being urged to transition from paddy to vegetable farming without sufficient marketing support. Consequently, a significant amount of brinjal is left to rot in the fields, exacerbating the financial strain on farmers.

The state government has recommended that farmers in areas lacking assured irrigation utilize deep borewells for non-paddy crops. However, growers argue that the absence of reliable market connections hampers their efforts to diversify their agricultural practices.

Farmers are calling on the government to step in, create effective marketing systems, and provide compensation for those impacted by the price drop.