Video Editor: Deepthi Ramdas
Fearing a huge agricultural crisis due to the mass migration of labourers following the nationwide lockdown, wheat farmers in Haryana and Punjab spend a sombre Baisakhi, a festival that coincides with the period of harvest in the northern part of the country.
Haryana and Punjab contribute nearly 70% to India’s wheat production.
While harvesting of wheat usually starts in the beginning of April, this year it has been delayed due to unseasonal rain and the lockdown. But as the farmers return to their fields amid lockdown and pandemic fears, they face multiple challenges.
Shortage of Farm Hands, Insufficient Machines
Due to the lockdown, most migrant labourers have returned to their home states. The seasonal labourers from UP and Bihar have not been able to come.
A wheat farmer in Punjab, Gurbhajan Singh, says:
“Our crops are ready to be harvested. To cut the crops, to store them or to transport them to the markets, we will need labour. But there is absolutely no labour available.”
Another farmer from Haryana, Ashok Kumar said the local labourers in the villages are scared to work in the fields due to coronavirus fear and it was impossible to harvest the crop in the entire land with just the help of his family.
At least 70% of the harvesting in Punjab and Haryana are done through machines but even the combine harvesters that are taken on rent by the farmers have not reached the states.
“The harvester combines that are sent to MP, Gujarat and Maharashtra for wheat production, even those have not returned to Punjab and Haryana. It is being said that about 5,000-7,000 harvester combines are still stuck in Maharashtra, Gujarat and MP and are trying to come to Punjab and Haryana.”Ramandeep Singh Mann, Haryana-based farm activist
No Fodder For Cattle
Despite the prevalence of mechanised system of harvesting, many farmers in Punjab and Haryana use manual labour to pick residue of the wheat, which they can store as fodder for their cattle. The president of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), VM Singh, said, “A lot of farmers don't cut crops with combines. Why? Because the residue of the wheat is used to feed their cattle for the entire year. With a ripper, barely 30% of fodder is available and 70% is wasted.”
‘Mandis’ Face the Biggest Threat
The biggest challenge comes when the wheat is harvested and is ready to be taken to the mandis for the government to buy. To combat the problems, the state governments are hammering out strategies to handle the crisis. Let's list them down again.
MASSIVE MANUAL LABOUR NEEDED AT MANDIS:
Ramandeep Singh Mann says, “Around 3.5 lakh migrant labourers (in Haryana alone) are needed in mandis to transport, clean and process the wheat.”
While Punjab government downplayed the labour problem, the Haryana government has said they will use many of the labourers under the MGNREGA and those lodged in the shelter homes for this process of procurement.
OVERCROWDING, NO SOCIAL DISTANCING:
Ravish Kumar, who owns a shop at a mandi in Haryana, said, “Usually, the markets are buzzing with harvested crops during this time. But because the harvesting is delayed, even the farmers are worried. At least if the harvesting is done, the procurement can be staggered. One person is given a slip to come and sell their wheat one day at a particular time. This way the problems of the farmers can be solved and the government can also ensure there is no overcrowding.”
To allow staggered procurement and avoid overcrowding, Haryana and Punjab government have increased the number of purchase centres and roped in rice mills, panchayat lands. Both the governments will allow farmers to come in shifts with a certain amount of their produce over a period of two months. They have also taken safety and hygiene measures.
NO STORAGE SPACE, LOSSES DURING BUYING PERIOD:
But staggered procurement could mean that farmers will have to bear some losses as they may not have adequate storage space. Both the Amarinder Singh government in Punjab and the Manohar Lal Khattar government in Haryana have written to the Centre to provide incentives to farmers who bring in their produce in the later days of procurement.
What This Means For the Supply Chain
In the last rabi season, more than 183 metric lakh tonnes of wheat was procured from Punjab and another 95 lakh metric tonnes was procured from Haryana.
Agricultural economist Devinder Sharma said, “At this particular juncture of the coronavirus pandemic, there are two sectors that hold reins to the economic collapse or economic survival. One is the health sector and the other is the food sector. Hence, agriculture cannot be in a lockdown position. At this juncture in India, we are very lucky to have a very vibrant agriculture. Our farmers have done their job and we should join hands to see that the effort is not lost. As far as production is concerned or supply is concerned, there is no constraint.”
Despite the lockdown and corona fears, farmers said they won’t let food bowls go empty in India.
A wheat farmer in Haryana, Rishiraj Kaushik, said, “We are the rice providers. We fill the stomachs of this country. We will have to manage something and harvest the wheat.”
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