Ranchi, Nov. 27: Ranchi may well be called the cradle of cauliflower considering the fact that it is the largest producer of the vegetable in eastern India. But, the irony is that its own people have to shell out more for having a taste of this winter delight.

A round of the markets reveals that the price of cauliflowers has gone up by several rupees, thanks to middlemen and brokers. In their attempts to make a killing in the trade of selling cauliflowers, the middlemen charge high rates from traders and vendors and as a result, the vegetable costs much more than its cultivation cost at the stores.

Dineshwar Tigga, the chairman of Kokar Bazaar Samiti, said: “The price of cauliflower increases at each stage . At the weekly haats, when the vegetable is brought directly from the farmers , it sells at Rs 7 to Rs 8 a kg. The figure corresponds to Rs 700 to Rs 800 a quintal when purchased in bulk. Thereafter, in mandis (wholesale markets, it costs Rs 10 to Rs 12 per kg and eventually sells for Rs 12 to Rs 15 a kg at the stores. At each stage of marketing, the middlemen increase the price, pocketing the commission.”

Hence, both farmers and local consumers are emerging out as losers. While the former are not getting proper price for the produce, the latter have to cough a greater sum while buying the vegetable.

In contrast to states like Bihar that grow vegetables only during winter, Ranchi, say researchers of Birsa Agriculture University (BAU), is the only place in the entire region to produce cauliflower throughout the year. Grown in outskirts like Bero, Itki, Chanho and Mandar, the flowery vegetable is not only produced in abundance, it is best in terms of quality and taste as well.

No wonder, neighbouring states such as Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and parts of Orissa transport the vegetable from here with the help of brokers. Poor marketing strategies of the government are being blamed for the present situation.

“What the peasants need to do is sell their produce at the local bazaar samitis instead of to the brokers. We are also trying to bring the farmers, traders and consumers on a single platform so that everyone gets his/her due,” said an official of the Jharkhand Agriculture Marketing Board.