No grass, no crops: Ba couple forced to sell livestock

After decades of farming to support their family, a Ba couple have been forced to sell their cattle and horse as prolonged dry weather leaves their land without grass for grazing and water for growing vegetables.

For Manjula Wati, 60, and her husband Atil Chand, 63, the drought has taken away more than their livestock. It has also brought their vegetable farming to a halt, threatening the livelihood they have depended on for years.

The couple have spent 30 years selling produce at the Ba Market, travelling about 30 minutes from their home to earn a living.

Ms Wati said her husband usually grew vegetables while she sold them at the market, with the income helping support their family and pay for their children's education.

But with nearby creeks and boreholes drying up and Government water supply remaining inconsistent, the couple can no longer rely on their home gardens.

“Because of lack of water, all our vegetables couldn't grow well, so we just buy from other farmers and sell at the market,” she said.

Livestock sold as grazing land dries up

The drought has also turned grazing areas brown, leaving the couple without enough grass to feed their animals.

With no suitable grazing conditions, they made the difficult decision to sell their cattle and horse.

The loss of their livestock has added to the challenges facing the couple, whose farming activities have already stopped because of the lack of water.

Struggling to earn at the market

Although they continue selling vegetables at the Ba Market, business has become increasingly difficult.

Instead of harvesting produce from their own gardens, Ms Wati and Mr Chand now buy vegetables from other farmers to resell.

They said they often struggled to recover their costs because of slow sales, high vegetable prices and fewer customers.

The couple attributed the decline in business to reduced spending power among customers and the rising cost of goods.

For vendors who depend on daily sales to support their families, the combination of drought and weak market demand has made earning a living increasingly difficult.

Hoping for rain

Despite the setbacks, the couple continue travelling to the market in the hope of making enough sales to support themselves.

They are now hoping for rain, particularly around Diwali, to replenish water sources, restore grazing land and allow them to resume growing vegetables.

For Ms Wati and Mr Chand, the return of rain would mean an opportunity to rebuild the farming livelihood they have relied on for decades.

Photo caption: Manjula Wati and her husband, Atil Chand, at the Ba Market. Photo: Mereleki Nai.