There are different categories of farmers in Meghalaya. Some cultivate food grains and vegetables; other grow fruits; still other rear livestock and nurture fish farms. In the past decade some enterprising farmers have taken to strawberry farming as a lucrative occupation, after this was introduced to them by the State Horticulture Department. Strawberry farmers do well if the weather is fine and there are no untoward incidents that stop the supply chain. Meghalaya has in the past had strawberry festivals to popularize the fruit. Later there were festivals for ‘biskot’ (squash) where farmers were told that since the vegetables are relished in states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh et al they can grow them for export. The value chain was that Meghalaya House Kolkata would be a sort of clearing house. Not much is known about this business in recent times but farmers in areas like Mairang grow ‘biskot’ over acres and acres of farmland. What will happen to those farmers if the Government does not activate the value chain? Soon there will be a glut of ‘biskot’ in the market and the lockdown will only aggravate the problem.
So who purchases the bulk of farmers’ produce? They are sold to retailers in the local retail markets, exported to neighbouring states and sold in bulk to restaurants and eateries. When restaurants are allowed to open only three days a week and that for home delivery, the vegetable and livestock have no takers. That leaves the farmers and vendors with no choice but to take back their produce which ultimately rots and is discarded as rotten waste. The effort put into growing fruits and vegetables go in vain. And only because there is no central procurement agency or a minimum support price. The purchasing power of most rural households is now declining after people have lost livelihoods. And vegetables are not exactly cheap. Their prices, like those of other essential commodities, have spiked up. Most families are surviving on rice with dry fish as a taste giving gruel. Pulses have also become unaffordable.
The absence of an agricultural policy in Meghalaya has resulted in this repeated loss for farmers. If there’s any disruption of normal life such as bandhs, hartals and strikes the farmers are buffeted. If there’s too much or too little rain they suffer. But the pandemic has dealt them the severest blow and will reduce many of them to penury if there is no bailout package. Economics works on the basis of supply and demand. Government needs to see which sectors have high demand for agricultural produce and keep those sectors out of the purview of the lockdown. More so, when those sectors are ready and willing to observe all Covid protocols. Quick ground surveys on a daily basis to find out what ails the agricultural producers will help government revise its lockdown policies.
