Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: Krishi Pandit Soneswar Konwar has questioned as to why the State Agriculture Department hasn’t procured vegetables and allowed them to rot in the field during the COVID-19 lockdown. “Such a lapse on the part of the department will have adverse impact on the agrarian economy in the State,” he said.
Octogenarian Soneswar Konwar of Moloibari under Dimoria Development Block received the ‘Ideal Farmer Award’ from the State Government in 1991. The State government also conferred on him the ‘Krishi Pandit’ title in 2006.
When contacted by this reporter, progressive farmer Konwar said, “The COVID-19 lockdown is a dampener for the agrarian economy. Assam’s economy largely depends on agriculture. In Moloibari, 75 per cent of the population is farmers. To cushion the blow from the COVID-19 lockdown, the department needs to prepare a roadmap to bail out the farmers from the current situation.”
Citing the agrarian the life in Moloibari as an example, Konwar said, “My low-land area is ideal for paddy cultivation. The ‘Boro paddy’ (Boro dhan) has started ripening, a stage that demands farmers to frequent their fields to see if any pest has attacked their cultivation. Pests are infamous for damaging paddy. If not regularly visited before their harvesting by April-end, the cultivation of Boro paddy may yield chaff only. This apart, it is the time for planting and sowing of the ‘Ahu paddy’ that takes three months for ripening. So, it is up to the department to devise a plan within the COVID-19 lockdown guidelines to allow farmers to go ahead with their agricultural activities.”
The ideal farmer, however, is satisfied with the irrigation facilities available in the Moloibari area.
On the rotting of vegetables like brinjals, gourds, cabbage, tomatoes, etc in the fields in many districts across the State, Konwar questioned, “Why hasn’t the State Agriculture department procured such vegetables and kept them in cold storage? Such a loss will have its adverse impact on the agrarian economy in the State. I haven’t seen a single agricultural officer visiting paddy fields in the Moloibari area these days. Shops selling fertilizers and pesticides should also be allowed to do business as they’re indispensible for agricultural activities.”
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