Agriculture and allied activities are among the few economic activities which have been allowed to operate in the country. And farmers in the northeastern states, including in Meghalaya, are making the best use of the lockdown period. They are back in their fields. They have ventured into their daily activities while conforming to the precautionary measures as notified by the government from time to time.
In Meghalaya, farmers have been working tirelessly in their farms to maximise produce.
Blossom Nongrum of Niriang village in West Jaintia Hills is satisfied with the produce that she has been able to extract from her farm. But she was concerned as she has not been able to send her items for sale due to the lockdown.
To ease this problem and clear the supply chain, State Agriculture Minister Banteidor Lyngdoh recently announced that as a temporary measure, the state government “will identify some authorised suppliers and shops” in Shillong who will collect the produce and arrange for retail sale.
In North Garo Hills’ Gabil village, farmers can be seen readying their land for cultivation. Many are also opting for food crop instead of cash crop so that they can have food security if the lockdown continues.
The first days of lockdown relaxation in Shillong were difficult as fresh vegetables were nowhere to be found. In the Lad Smit market, fresh vegetables and fruits from local farmers’ fields are sold at a reasonable price. Most of the sellers are from the adjoining villages.
The farmers whom Sunday Shillong spoke to said they follow the social distancing guideline while farming. Some were also seen wearing masks while tilling the soil.
The nationwide lockdown was declared for the first time from the midnight of March 24 as a measure to combat the spread of COVID-19 in the wake of the spike in positive cases in the country. Economists have predicted most rightly that all sectors of the economy will have to bear the brunt of the closure.
Agriculture was no exception in this regard. With the government requiring all citizens to confine themselves to their homes to maintain social distancing, it became inevitable that the major part of the sowing season would be lost leading to huge loss to the primary sector.
Sensing the severity of the situation and with a view to address problems faced by the farming community, the government decided to relax the lockdown for activities related to farming and allied activities on March 27.
The Home Ministry issued a second addendum to the guidelines and issued orders to the state to ease the difficulties of the farming community.
This helped farmers in the North East as well as those in other parts of the country.
At Chizami in Nagaland, farmers are seen busy in the picturesque terrace fields, working in wet terrace fields and preparing them for sowing and weeding. Farmers here follow both traditional and modern methods of cultivation. The hardworking farmers have mastered the difficult terrain to ensure that they have enough produce at the end of the harvest seasons.
Women work hand in hand in all sectors with their male counterparts and farming is no exception. Woman farmers of Chizami can be seen preparing a paddy nursery, sowing seeds with the hope of a good harvest this time as well.
The women also collect snails, small fish and water insects from terrace paddy fields to provide supplementary nutrients to their families. It may be mentioned that the Centre has allowed fishing activities to be carried out during the national lockdown by a separate addendum on April 10.
The hill states of the Northeast are known for their organic produce. Fresh green vegetables are found in abundance in local markets, thanks to the hardworking farmers of the region who, despite the difficult terrain, make possible the best of produce.
At Durtlang in Aizwal, men and women engage in weeding activities in their farms located in the appealing range where they have cultivated various leafy vegetables. Mixed cropping pattern can be seen incorporating cereals, pulses, oilseeds, spices and vegetables in the foothills of Wokha in Nagaland. In the field, woman farmers can be seen nurturing the French beans garden, beautifully carved out of the hill forest.
In Assam where the farmers are comparatively better placed due to presence of plain farming areas, farmers like Sanowar Hussain of Shaowpur village in Barpeta district are busy cultivating rice and jute in his own land during the lockdown period by using modern method of cultivation.
Report by PIB, with inputs from Sunday Shillong team
Photos by PIB