Covid-19: New restrictions worry Maharashtra farmers

Maharashtra government’s conclusion on Friday to announce a night curfew from nine p.m. to six a.m. in watch of a rising number of Covid-19 situations has place the farming local community in a fear. Even as the government has not place any limits on agriculture functions, farmers who are already battered by unseasonal rains say that disruption in the economic cycle will influence them in a massive way.

“ For the duration of previously lockdowns the government allowed seed, pesticide, fertiliser stores to continue to be open up. Even other functions were allowed but sowing and harvesting functions were expensive affairs due to the fact of the shortage of labour. Also, quite couple farmers were capable to just take their merchandise straight to the individuals as marketplaces were closed”, explained Yogesh Ugale, a farmer in Nashik. He fears that extra limits or lockdowns will incur losses to small onion farmers like him as establishments like places to eat and pupil hostels who get onions from him will end buying through the lockdown.

Even as government claims that inter and intra Point out movement of farm machinery specially mixed harvesters were facilitated, farmers say that they confronted major challenges due to the fact of different limits place by the area authorities.

“Agricultural functions ongoing through previously lockdowns but if lockdowns are imposed once again, it would be complicated for us to endure. Numerous farmers are already reeling under personal loan burdens owing to losses in floods and rains. We need to have some time to recover,” explained Baba Sawat, a farmer from Sangli.

Credit issues

The Union Agriculture Ministry advised Lok Sabha recently that through the 1st wave of Covid-19 pandemic, the government prolonged the day of renewal of quick term agriculture financial loans that had turn out to be owing or would have turn out to be owing among March one, 2020 and August 3, 2020 up to August 21, 2020 with the commensurate gain of two per cent desire subvention and 3 per cent prompt repayment incentive up to prolonged day.

For the duration of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic (2021), the government prolonged the day of renewal of the quick term agriculture personal loan which had turn out to be owing or would have turn out to be owing among March one, 2021 and June 30, 2021 up to June 30, 2021 with the commensurate gain of two per cent desire subvention and 3 per cent prompt repayment incentive up to prolonged day.

“There is a massive number of farmers who are out of institutional credit history method. Also, all those who are section of the formal credit history method are not in a posture to repay financial loans. Condition in rural places is already negative and it would turn out to be worse if lockdown is imposed. The financial state of the region largely is dependent on agriculture and allied functions and Covid has already disturbed our economic cycle. Farmers are not in a posture to encounter another lockdown,” states Sunanda Kharate, a farmer from Osmanabad.

Sugarcane cutters

New limits by the Point out government have also panicked sugarcane cutters in western Maharashtra. “The government has began imposing limits and these limits could boost. The sugarcane season is however on and we don’t know if we have to return again to our villages,” states Tukaram, a sugarcane cutter performing in Mhaisal. For the duration of the past Covid-19 wave sugarcane cutters proceed to do the job as they feared getting rid of the do the job and funds.