Farmers are crestfallen!
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The departments not paying heed to the recommendations given by the expert committee for agriculture and allied sector during the first wave of the COVID-19, the farmers of the State have to pay a heavy price during the second wave of the virus. Now, most of the crestfallen farmers in the State are caught in a debt trap.
The situation has come to such a pass that while many dairy farmers have to throw their milk into the drains, many growers have to see their vegetables decaying on their orchards or sell them at throwaway prices.
Take the situation at Sorbhog in Barpeta district as a case study. A bunch of banana (malbhog) is sold at Rs 150 there. On the contrary, a dozen of such banana is sold at Rs 70 in Guwahati. What's sheer unacceptable at Sorbhog is that 80 lemons fetch only Rs 15 to the grower, but each of the 80 lemons fetches Rs 3 or 4 to a retailer in Guwahati!
In Nagaon, Dhekiajuli etc the growers sell pumpkin at Rs 2 per piece against Rs 20-30 per piece in Guwahati.
In 2020, the expert committee on the COVID-19 impact on the State recommended the government form an agricultural task force for devising sector-wise and sub-sector-wise plans and programmes to mitigate the adverse situation created by the COVID-19 and the lockdown. However, the departments concerned paid little heed to the recommendations. According to the experts' committee, the agriculture and allied sector in the State had to incur a huge loss of around Rs 4,061 crore for the lockdown last year.
The State Innovation and Transformation Aayog (SITA) had also advised the State Government last year to approach the Centre for special permission to utilize a part of the NLPCR (Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources) meant for the Northeast to balance the loss incurred by the agriculture and allied sector. The NLCPR for the Northeast is Rs 5,000 crore now. This advice from the SITA also fell on the deaf ear of the departments concerned.
Had the departments concerned heeded to the SITA's advice on the NLCPR, the problems of the farmers could have been mitigated to a large extent.
According to sources, a section of youths engaged themselves in farming by taking loans from banks. However, the impact of the second wave of the COVID-19 in the State on life and livelihood is such that many of such youths who engaged themselves in the dairy industry have to throw theirs produces like milk into the drains. This is because the local hotels that make their secured markets have been closed during the lockdown.
Mahesh Kalita of Hajo said, "I started my dairy farming by taking loans from banks. However, due to the prolonged lockdown, I can neither pay the bank instalments nor can I feed my cattle properly."
Rupam Baishya of Nagaon said, "I cultivated lemon in a plot of four bighas by taking a loan from private parties. I've not been able to get even the cost. Thanks to the second wave of the virus and the lockdown."
Heeramoni of Dhekiajuli has to see his toiled produce – pumpkin – getting decayed in the field. "I had to take loans from private parties for growing them," a crestfallen Heeramoni said.
The pertinent question is: why haven't the departments learnt a lesson from the pandemic last year, and devised a plan to give the farmers some succour? Why has it been so slow in implementing the recommendations of the experts' committee, in the first place?