Fast food has become more prevalent in India for the past two decades. New franchises have opened in the past few years, increasing competition and source of income for many. Farmers of the Nilgiris district in Tamil Nadu too didn’t leave this opportunity after predicting the profit in lettuce cultivation. Iceberg lettuce is now used in every form of burgers, sandwiches and salads. In the West, it is often eaten raw in salads and burgers, and is often considered as a nutritious food. The demand for another leafy green vegetable, cabbage, has also increased in India with the advent of the fast food era. While talking to Local18, a Nilgiris farmer said that the seeds of this cabbage are sown and after they grow into seedlings, they are planted in gardens. It is followed by the spray of the required amount of manure while maintaining the water flow.
Regarding the cultivation and business of lettuce, the farmer said, “Seedlings are harvested after they grow well. If the price is good, the traders cut it and take it away. Traders don’t cut if the price falls. This causes loss to the farmers. It is only now that farmers are showing interest in this English vegetable crop,” he said. The farmers of Nilgiris earn Rs 300 per kg of sown Iceberg lettuce.
India is one of the major producers of cabbage in the world. It is preferred by Indian farmers because of its adaptability to a wide range of climatic conditions and soil. Despite the larger cultivation area for cabbage, the productivity is very low by the farmers. Infestation by insect pests causes severe loss in productivity of cabbage. Among these, the diamondback moth is the most severe pest causing the highest yield loss.
It is also worth noting that although farmers have shown interest in cultivating various types of vegetables as a new initiative, on the one hand, farmers continue to grow large quantities of carrots, beetroot, potatoes, cabbage, beans, radish, and white garlic in Nilgiris district.
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