Covid-19: New restrictions worry Maharashtra farmers

Maharashtra government’s choice on Friday to announce a night time curfew from nine p.m. to 6 a.m. in perspective of a mounting variety of Covid-19 cases has place the farming neighborhood in a be concerned. Even as the authorities has not place any restrictions on agriculture functions, farmers who are by now battered by unseasonal rains say that disruption in the financial cycle will affect them in a large way.

“ During previously lockdowns the authorities allowed seed, pesticide, fertiliser stores to keep on being open up. Even other functions had been allowed but sowing and harvesting functions had been highly-priced affairs mainly because of the shortage of labour. Also, extremely several farmers had been ready to take their merchandise straight to the people as markets had been closed”, explained Yogesh Ugale, a farmer in Nashik. He fears that a lot more restrictions or lockdowns will incur losses to modest onion farmers like him as institutions like places to eat and pupil hostels who buy onions from him will prevent getting during the lockdown.

Even as authorities statements that inter and intra Condition motion of farm machinery specially mixed harvesters had been facilitated, farmers say that they faced significant difficulties mainly because of various restrictions place by the community authorities.

“Agricultural functions continued during previously lockdowns but if lockdowns are imposed all over again, it would be hard for us to endure. Many farmers are by now reeling underneath loan burdens because of to losses in floods and rains. We will need some time to get well,” explained Baba Sawat, a farmer from Sangli.

Credit score problems

The Union Agriculture Ministry informed Lok Sabha just lately that during the very first wave of Covid-19 pandemic, the authorities prolonged the date of renewal of small time period agriculture loans that had turn into because of or would have turn into because of in between March 1, 2020 and August three, 2020 up to August 21, 2020 with the commensurate reward of two per cent fascination subvention and three per cent prompt reimbursement incentive up to prolonged date.

During the 2nd wave of the Covid-19 pandemic (2021), the authorities prolonged the date of renewal of the small time period agriculture loan which had turn into because of or would have turn into because of in between March 1, 2021 and June thirty, 2021 up to June thirty, 2021 with the commensurate reward of two per cent fascination subvention and three per cent prompt reimbursement incentive up to prolonged date.

“There is a enormous variety of farmers who are out of institutional credit rating process. Also, those who are component of the formal credit rating process are not in a placement to repay loans. Problem in rural areas is by now lousy and it would turn into worse if lockdown is imposed. The overall economy of the area largely is dependent on agriculture and allied functions and Covid has by now disturbed our financial cycle. Farmers are not in a placement to encounter one more lockdown,” claims Sunanda Kharate, a farmer from Osmanabad.

Sugarcane cutters

New restrictions by the Condition authorities have also panicked sugarcane cutters in western Maharashtra. “The authorities has started imposing restrictions and these restrictions could raise. The sugarcane period is nevertheless on and we really don’t know if we have to return back again to our villages,” claims Tukaram, a sugarcane cutter performing in Mhaisal. During the past Covid-19 wave sugarcane cutters keep on to do the job as they feared getting rid of the do the job and money.