Mountain green peas to knock vegetable markets soon – Farmers expect a fair price

Peas season is at its peak these days, from Rajgarh  area of Sirmaur and Kandaghat region of Solan district but due to heavy rains and hailstorm for the last two days, damaging the Pea crop partly.  Due to prolonged dry spell or less rains in winter season this year, the productivity of the crop also suffered to some extent. Now the farmers are getting average production which is ready to go in the market in next fortnight however it is before the scheduled time.  The prices of peas remained less than Rs.50 till Thursday but due to continued arrival of the vegetable from the other markets. However now with declining import of pea from other markets farmers are getting better prices.  However, before this, the average rate of peas in Rajgarh and Solan vegetable market was Rs.30 to 40 pre kg.  A Transporter Pradeep Bragta said that in last winter season peas were sold at a maximum of Rs 40 per kg in Solan market.  In the year 2021, mountain peas were sold up to Rs.60 per kg in the vegetable market of Solan.  According to the Agriculture Department, owing to the change in the weather, the production of peas is also being less this year.  In every winter in the last week of March and the first week of April, the pea crop of peas hit the markets from Rajgarh and Kandaghat area.  After this, the Green onion and Garlic, Tomato, Capsicum, French Bean would start. Every day vehicles laden with peas from the rural areas of Rajgarh started arriving at Sarahan the biggest vegetable market of the state, besides the Solan.  There is a lot of demand for hill peas in the other markets of the country from this region.  Agent Vinod Kumar said that these days peas are being sold in mandis for Rs.35 to 50 per kg.  If this rate remains stable then farmers would get good profit from the crop.  Heera Lal Azad, in-charge of Agriculture Department, Rajgarh said that this year, 76 quintals of HPM-1 variety of pea seed has been made available by the department in Rajgarh region, in which three quintals of pea seed have been given to the farmers of Koti Padhog as a demonstration. It was told that pea seeds were made available to the farmers on subsidy at Rs.80 per kg.  He said that the cash crops have brought a revolutionary change in the economy of the people of Rajgarh region.  Many progressive farmers said that cash crops are being grown by every small and marginal farmer in rural areas, due to which the standard of living of every family has increased.  All modern facilities are available in every house.  Vegetable market in-charge Rajgarh Sourav Himral said that most of the crops are being sold directly in private Markets.