Bumper Marigold Harvest Leaves Farmers And Traders Counting Losses In MP's Agar Malwa

Agar Malwa: Marigold farmers in Madhya Pradesh's Agar Malwa district are facing a crisis after their flowers bloomed earlier than usual, leading to a glut in supply. Roop Narayan's fields are blanketed in yellow after a bumper marigold harvest. But instead of bringing him cheer, it has left him deeply worried."There is no demand for these flowers; no one is willing to buy them even for one rupee per kilogram. That is why we uprooted them and threw them away. Otherwise, the plants would just rot," Narayan said. He is not alone. Farmers say prices have plummeted, and they are barely able to fetch one to two rupees per kilogram. That's not enough to cover even their transport costs, let alone the cost of cultivation. According to traders, unusual high temperatures caused marigolds to bloom ahead of their usual harvesting season, resulting in excess supply and a crash in prices Now, heaps of discarded marigolds lie along roadsides, waiting to be cleared away.