Recent rain leads to early carrot harvest and price fall in the Nilgiris

Heavy rain over the past week has disrupted carrot cultivation in the Nilgiris, forcing farmers to harvest early as waterlogging in farmlands has begun damaging the crop. The early harvest has also led to a fall in prices in the local markets.

Joint Director of Horticulture, S. Shibila Mary, said about 430 hectares of carrot fields were ready for harvest in October. “The price of carrot, which was ₹45 to ₹50 per kg on October 22, dropped to ₹30 to ₹40 per kg by Wednesday (October 29, 2025). Earlier this month, it had touched ₹60 to ₹80 per kg. The drop is due to advanced harvests that brought surplus quantities to the market this week,” she said.

Farmers said carrot, a 120-day crop, are normally harvested between 100 and 120 days from sowing to harvest, when they reach full growth in taste, colour, size, and weight. Continuous rain has, however, forced many to clear their fields early.

“Many farms have become waterlogged. If the crop is left in such conditions, the roots start rotting, fungal infections develop, and the quality and shelf life decline,” said R. Hari Haran, a farmer from Ketti Palada.

“When we harvested early, only about 50 per cent of the produce was in good condition. The rest had to be discarded because the carrots had either started rotting or cracking. Many farmers have begun harvesting even at 80 or 90 days, irrespective of the growth stage, to avoid further damage,” he added.

According to data from the Horticulture Department, rain during the week damaged crops on about 10.03 hectares, affecting 49 farmers in total. The affected crops include carrot (7.39 ha), potato (0.26 ha), beetroot (0.47 ha), chow chow (0.95 ha), red cabbage (0.15 ha), cabbage (0.08 ha), iceberg lettuce (0.25 ha), zucchini (0.35 ha), and minor vegetables such as broccoli (0.13 ha).