The government’s decision to relax the lockdown norms on agricultural activity from April 20 has left the farmers dismayed as it was not backed by any package to reduce their woes.
They have also called for crop planning to ensure that the agricultural produce has a market and farmers receive a fair and remunerative price once the situation stabilises.
Vivek Cariappa, an organic farmer based in Sargur near H.D. Kote, cautioned that agriculture without crop planning was a recipe for disaster.
‘’By force of habit farmers are opting for crops such as Bt.cotton in places including H.D. Kote though the garment and textile industry is in the doldrums. If the farmers fail to get a remunerative price for the crop, it will be a crippling blow,” he warned.
He called for crop planning based on market analysis and wanted the government to play a proactive role in spelling out the food crops that should receive special thrust while avoiding commercial crops. The need of the hour is to cultivate food crops which can help farmers sustain themselves in extreme situations, he added.
Though the lockdown was necessary to spread the COVID-19 infection, the interest of the farmers who have sustained loss has not been upheld by the government said Kurubur Shanthakumar, President of the Karnataka Sugarcane Cultivators Association.
“The crisis plaguing the farmers is real and for an investment of ₹1 lakh per acre, the returns ranged from ₹25,000 to ₹30,000 and even the input cost has not been recovered in most cases. Exempting agriculture from lockdown norms is a measure to ensure that food security was not compromised but this is no gesture to reduce farmers’ distress,” said Mr. Shanthakumar.
The Association members said to kickstart agriculture, farmers have to invest but they are hard-pressed for cash and hence the government should have announced a financial aid or package to stimulate the sector.
Mr. Krishnaprasad of Sahaja Samruddha, an organisation promoting the cultivation of native variety of crops, said large-scale cultivation of a single crop or practising monoculture is akin to putting all eggs in one basket.
“If there is no market for that particular crop as seen in case of tomato this season, the farmer will sink. Hence farmers should be encouraged to opt for multi-cropping with emphasis on food crops’’, he said.
Calling for an agricultural stimulus, Mr .Krishnaprasad said the government should at least focus on providing relief to farmers with small land holding as their ability to withstand shocks was limited.
