Red jowar price shoots up on increased Holi demand
Red jowar, specially grown by farmers of south Gujarat, is in huge demand during Holi. Normally, it’s grown as fodder for captive requirement by the farmers.
By Melvyn Thomas, TNN |
SURAT: Red jowar, specially grown by farmers of south Gujarat, is in huge demand during Holi. Normally, it’s grown as fodder for captive requirement by the farmers. Red jowar prices have doubled on the back of demand for human consumption.
The prices of red jowar have shot up by about Rs 20 to Rs 25 per kilogram in the local market while a quintal of red jowar is sold at Rs 2,000-2,200.
The rise is primarily due to special snacks made from red jowar, spicy popcorn along with chana, dates and ‘haida’ (a kind of sweet), which are much in demand during this festival.
Karsan Patel, president of Surat Jilla Khedut Samaj, said, “The demand for red jowar remains only for about a week during Holi and its price rises manifold.”
It is cultivated by the farmers in Mandvi, Uchchal, Nizar and some of the talukas in the Navsari and Valsad district in small patches of land along with white jowar. This practice is prevalent since many years as red jowar does not cause HCN poisoning and is used as cattle feed.
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There is no district figure for the quantum of production of red jowar in the region. But all farmers in the rural areas cultivate red jowar in small patches in their farms and use it as fodder for their cattle.Ramesh Modi, a wholesaler of grains and pulses at Delhi Gate, said, “Seeing the demand we hope to sell around 1,000 to 1,500 quintals of red jowar during this week.” Another wholesaler, Shantilal Patel of Bansidhar pulses and grains, said, hopes to sell about 2,000 to 2,500 quintals of red jowar.
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