While appreciating Mr K Kathuzah, 4th Mile, ginger farmer for making a very good assessment of what is going on at the Agri-Expo Site, 4th Mile, regarding purchase and sale of ginger by the APMC, Kohima, we feel very sorry and sad because he has proved himself to be a literate farmer who is far from the realities of marketing, the status-quo of our people/state from economic, political and social point of view. We don’t really mind for all the allegations leveled against us, but take it as an opportunity to inform all concerned what exactly is taking place. At the same time we don’t argue with him because he doesn’t know what he said and such argument will never bring about anything good to our people in general.
Therefore, we are opportune to bring to the ‘Real Daylight’ the following facts which everyone should learn and make use of. Due to space and time limit they are presented as follows:
1. Every normal buyer weighs the value of his money against the commodity he wants to purchase. If he feels that the commodity is not worth his money he will not purchase.
2. A prefixed or printed price is always related to quality and standard desired.
3. The seller can never force the buyer even if the commodity is satisfactory in all respects.
4. An ignorant seller always losses because of his own ignorance.
5. It is the seller or the producer who usually advertises to induce his customer or consumer to buy, not the buyer.
6. Customers’ satisfaction is the first step to profitability.
7. If the stockiest can do retailing, there is a better chance for the smaller supplier to do.
8. Unless your product/produce is ‘Super’ or you are the only producer or seller, you have to be the ‘price taker’ not the ‘price setter’
9. In the present day competitive world, there are only two tools for a producer or entrepreneur to make a profitable venture – Best Possible Quality and Lowest Possible Price. In case of ginger, therefore, a farmers/entrepreneur must see that he grows the best ginger in term of specie (as per market demand), size, the look and even the way it is packaged. To make it the lowest possible price, the only way out, after production, is to cut down your selling cost and other overheads.
Yes, the Agri-Expo Site has become a dumping place for ginger not only in term 100s of tons but in terms of 1000s. Suppliers, entrepreneurs and farmers think that the government is buying the ginger through the APMC and that they have the golden chance of supplying to the Government all kinds of ginger. When the trucks arrive, every supplier claims that his ginger is of best quality. But on opening their bags/sacks we are discovering varieties of ginger such as, Nadia ginger, local ginger, the Shillong type, semi-ginger, mixed ginger, half burnt ginger, stone-to-be-turning-ginger, yam-to-be-turning-ginger, root eating ginger, ginger with mineral giving soil/mud and well sprouting ginger etc. Waooh! What a super ginger! Nagaland must be the only state producing these varieties of gingers! Sorry, we are spending so much of time to identify buyers for each variety of these gingers. As per clause (3) of our MoU with the concerned Marketing Board dated the 13th March 2007, we have 100% right to reject not only up to 60% but up to100% of the consignment, if it is not found satisfactory to us.
About palm greasing the supervisors, we would be very grateful to Mr K Kathuzah if he could kindly let us know the ‘Inspector’ whose palm was really ‘greased’ because we want to cut down our cost through any means.
The APMC, Kohima has the liberty to sell its purchased ginger anywhere – local, national or international market. No one needs to poke his nose into where or how we are disposing our ginger because it is ours, once we purchased.
We are very happy to learn from Mr K Kathuzah about the cost estimates including the deductions and miscellaneous charges by us. According him, after deducting all the cost of cultivation, transportation and deductions and miscellaneous charges by us a farmer is getting Rs.2 per Kg. In that case, Rs.2 is the Net Profit to the farmer, because all other cost has been deducted. Hurray! That’s a super rate of Net Profit by a farmer, when we are struggling hard to make even a Re.0.10.p per Kg. And what’s more? Why the free seeds from the Government were not considered? (all farmers might not have received free seeds) The value of such seeds will be considered as expenditure or an income to the farmer?
About the popular rate of Rs.7.50 per kg, we have never paid anything less than Rs.7.50 to any supplier, for which our bill/cash memo are the evidence. The allegation that, ‘APMC clearly mentioned Rs.7.50 per Kg and based on that only farmers all over Nagaland cultivated ginger’ is nonsense. We can only think that Mr Kathuzah or some farmers must have cultivated ginger after 13th March 2007 and harvested his/their ginger somewhere around later part of March 2007 and brought to the store to sell at Rs.7.50 per Kg. To clarify this, the APMC, Kohima offered Rs.7.50 per Kg for Dimapur subject to acceptance after inspection at the APMCs meeting with the NSAMB on the 13th of March 2007. So we don’t see any possibility that a farmer has cultivated ginger with that assured price.
The allegation that we deduct suppliers’ final bill is totally false. But, ‘To err is human’, therefore, if there is any such cases, we apologise and the deprived supplier is welcome any day to make necessary correction and claim the right amount. For the information of all regarding our alleged pending bills, we do ‘First In-First Out.’
We wish Mr Kathuzah walk towards the Sun instead of walking away from it so that the shadow is behind him when he raised few queries about what the Government is supposed to do for the farmers. The government knows the problems of its citizen, especially the farming community, more than what they know of their own problems. The Government distributed seeds free of cost to the farmers. Many stores and marketing sheds have been constructed to facilitate procurement, storage and disposal. In addition, it is expected that some kind of assistance would be given as transport assistance in view of low price. What more do we want the Government to do for us? Let us not be Caterpillars anymore. Why can’t we make good use of all these opportunities and strengths to make a living? We can’t expect any Government to spoon-feed us. It is we, the citizen, who should activate and ignite ourselves to turn the wheels of the economy and let it grow.
Regarding the specific query by Mr Kathuzah on the status of APMC as profit making organization; yes, the APMCs should be purely profit making organizations to survive themselves. Why should they keep on pestering the government to rescue them?
As far as our stand is concerned, we are ready to take the challenge and confident that we will be able to do what we intend to do. We don’t expect anyone to know the obstacles and the adversaries we are facing unless the person joins us and see and feel the same, and also, we don’t expect anybody to understand. But there are certain socio-economic problems inhibiting our society and economy from prospering which are not within our control, for which we may come forward seeking help and assistance of each and everyone anytime any day. We know we will enjoy a glorious moment after all is said and done whether we make a profit or suffered a loss. We never have been ‘Daylight Robbers,’ instead, we are trying our best to be ‘Nighttime Lovers’ by lighting a candle than just cursing the darkness.
Thank You Sir.
Vilazhü Seyie, Chairman, APMC, Kohima
