Cultivating grapes has turned out to be a sour experience for growers, particularly in Maharashtra, the largest grower of the fruit in the country. 

Maharashtra ranks first in terms of production, accounting for 81.22 per cent of total production, and productivity. Over the last few decades, grape cultivation in Maharashtra has multiplied and fetched the tag “grape bowl of India”. The fruit has made many growers millionaires. 

But over the last three years, it has been a different story altogether. “In the last couple of years, a majority of grape saplings in nurseries have remained unsold and it essentially means that farmers are not turning to grape cultivation. In fact, those who are already into grape cultivation have suffered heavy losses due to unseasonal rains, unpredictable markets and Covid-19. The area under grape cultivation is declining slowly,” said Kailas Bhosale, Vice-President of the Maharashtra State Grape Growers’ Association (MSGGA), the apex body of grape farmers in the State. 

Nearly half the normal price

He said the domestic market is important for grape cultivators as 93 per cent of the produce is sold in local markets.  

Farmers say this season prices in the local market dropped to ₹15-20 a kg and farmers were not even able to recover production costs. While export quality grapes were sold at ₹50-75 per kg. “This year, exports of grapes were affected as China banned our shipments citing the presence of Covid. Shipments to South-East Asia were also affected for the same reason as also Europe. West Asia was our only hope,” said a grower in Manchar, Pune district. 

Normally, farmers got over ₹80 a kg for exports. “This year, we got only ₹50. To our surprise, we found China lifting the ban once our season got over around April,” the grower said. 

 “Covid-19 lockdowns, unseasonal rains and dropping prices have left many farmers helpless. Many farmers in our region have turned back to sugarcane cultivation. Especially, small grape cultivators are completely devastated” said DD Chougule, a farmer from Sangli. Along with Nashik, Sangli is one of the major grape cultivating areas in Maharashtra.        

Price crisis 

This season, the MSGGA had finalised the rate of their produce for the export market at a minimum of ₹82 kg in January, ₹71 in February, and ₹62 in March. The Association members calculated the price based on a 10 per cent profit on the production cost of grapes. “This was for the first time we had decided the basic price. It has helped a lot to stop the collapse of rates and farmers were able to bargain based on this parameter. We have succeeded in creating awareness among farmers, traders and consumers” said Bhosale.

Grape farmers, however, say fluctuating prices and the monopoly of certain traders in the business have left farmers helpless and many more farmers might quit grape cultivation soon. “Not many offered to buy at the prices fixed by MSGGA. We had to offer grapes at a lower price,” the Manchar grower said. 

In view of this, the area under grapes could decline sharply, he said, adding that it would not be surprising even if the acreage drops by 40 per cent. 

Understanding the markets 

Vilas Shinde, Chairman and MD of Sahyadri Farms in Nashik, said growers in Nashik succeeded in exporting grapes to the European market but there is a need now to thoroughly study other markets and start exports. He said the unity of farmers is important to influence policy decisions and price control. Sahyadri is planning to supply grapes in a segregated manner so that it is available around the year. 

(With inputs from Subramani Ra Mancombu)

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