Grading, washing and bunching spinach and fenugreek to fetch a better price in urban vegetable markets.
How should I grade and bunch leafy greens like palak and methi for the city market?
VVaishali Jadhav6mo ago · 147 views
4 Answers
🌾Farmer.in Krishi TeamExpert ✓5mo ago
For palak (spinach) and methi (fenugreek), harvest early morning when leaves are turgid, then sort out yellow, diseased or insect eaten leaves before bunching. Wash gently in clean water to remove soil, make uniform sized bunches of consistent weight, and tie loosely so air can pass and the stems do not heat up. Keep bunches upright in shallow water or a cool shaded place and move to market quickly, since leafy greens wilt within hours in heat. Buyers pay more for clean, uniform, fresh looking bunches, so consistency matters as much as quantity. Ask your local mandi or FPO what bunch size and grade their buyers prefer, as it varies by city.
SSunita Kale5mo ago
In Nashik I sell palak and methi to a city vendor and uniform bunch weight is what gets me a repeat buyer. I keep a small spring balance at packing so every bundle is the same, and he pays a steady rate for that.
AAnita Pawar5mo ago
One thing that cut my wilting losses: I harvest before sunrise and keep the bunches standing in a tub with a little water in the shade till the tempo comes. By midday unwatered greens here are limp and fetch a poor price.
MManda Shinde5mo ago
A tip on grading: I sort out every yellow or insect eaten leaf before bunching, even if it is slower. A clean uniform bundle gets a clearly better rate from city buyers than a mixed one.