The Nilgiris: The farmlands of the Nilgiris are known for its high quality vegetables like carrot, beetroot, radish, cabbage, cauliflower and beans which are extensively cultivated. Due to the high yield of these vegetables, farmers in Ooty focus on cultivating these vegetables which are challenging to cultivate in hilly terrain as compared to the plains.
The Nilgiris: The farmlands of the Nilgiris are known for its high quality vegetables like carrot, beetroot, radish, cabbage, cauliflower and beans which are extensively cultivated. Due to the high yield of these vegetables, farmers in Ooty focus on cultivating these vegetables which are challenging to cultivate in hilly terrain as compared to the plains.
Garlic is another crop which the Nilgiris is known for. It is cultivated in an acre and needs to be well cared for to prevent any disease from striking the crop. Sprinklers are used and the garlic harvest gets ready in about three months, after which it dries up. Annual rainfall in Ooty usually occurs after the frost season ends. But this year, owing to lack of rains in Ooty and its surrounding areas, couples with the rising heat during the day and cold temperatures at night, farmers have resorted to harvesting the vegetables much in advance since there is water scarcity.
Farmers segregate garlic harvest according to its quality, after plucking from the fields and then send them to the municipality market for sale. After the auction, it is taken to the Mettupalayam market and sold there. But lately, owing to a steady fall in the price of garlic, farmers have cause for worry.
Last year, 1 kg garlic was sold for Rs.200 to Rs.300. But farmers claim that the price currently is just Rs.80 per kg. The demand for Ooty garlic which had been high all these years, has suddenly declined since inflow of garlic produce in local markets have increased from other states.