Coriander Prices Collapse in Chikkaballapur, Farmers Forced to Dump Crop on Roads

Farmers in Chikkaballapur district and surrounding agricultural belts are reeling from a catastrophic collapse in coriander prices, with wholesale rates dropping from ₹50–₹80 per bundle to an unprecedented ₹3–₹5 per bundle. In several primary market yards, prices sank so low that bundles found no buyers even at Re 1, stranding hundreds of vegetable growers who had invested heavily in seeds, fertilizers, and manual labor. A sudden surge in market supply combined with sluggish out-of-state demand triggered the severe price crash, leaving farmers with severe economic losses right at the peak of harvest. Unable to recover basic expenses incurred on harvesting, packaging, and transporting the delicate produce to markets, frustrated growers dumped bundles of fresh coriander along highways and roadsides in Chikkaballapur. Agricultural associations highlighted that small and marginal farmers were hardest hit, as prices failed to cover even the daily wage rates for farm laborers. Agricultural groups have urged the state government and market committees to establish price stabilization funds and provide immediate distress relief to vegetable farmers suffering from severe market volatility.