Editor,
In the stressful Covid times we face today, aside from victims that fall prey to this dreaded disease, public concern is expressed daily through the press and social media over the plight and dilemma faced by farmers of the state. Selling farm produce is assuming a big social problem. Farmers are unable to sell or get an equitable price for their products. Exploitation by middlemen is rampant. Suggestions ranging from opening of more markets to declaration of a Minimum Support Price (MSP) have been expressed by concerned citizens. An answer to these questions is called for. To come to a proper solution we first have to understand who are these farmers we are talking about and what exactly is the issue facing them.
Meghalaya is an agricultural state and 75 % of our population depend on agriculture and its allied activities for a living. Agricultural holdings range from small to marginal and most of it is upland agriculture carried out on steep hillsides. Govt policy has mostly concentrated on how to improve both quantity and quality of such produce through a production-oriented policy. Marketing of the produce has however been problematic mainly because the quantity produced is small; widespread and scattered, not locally concentrated; because of logistic difficulties arising out of hostile terrain; lack of basic transport communication but most importantly because the individual farmer has been left to solve the problem himself. There has been no official direction on the matter. Though demand for agriculture produce exists the problem is how to turn it into a sellers’ market rather than the buyer’s market it is today, as this has only served the interest of the middleman.
Meghalaya has always maintained a laissze faire attitude towards agriculture marketing. A policy of leaving things to take their own course; letting the market play out its own demand without much interference has been the official approach. Attempts at cooperated agriculture marketing failed because a Cooperative was set up more for the sake of establishing the unit without much attention paid to linking it with a viable marketing system for farm produce. The experience of MECOFED is a glaring example of the failed attempt to link cooperative farming to agricultural markets. There was a big failure to blend cooperative farming with cooperative marketing. In similar places with similar terrain and holdings such as Korea, Japan and Vietnam cooperative marketing has proved a boon to small farmers. In Meghalaya we failed because of a flawed sense of priority and direction.
Govt, its departments and agencies think in terms of tons of production. The individual small farmer thinks in terms of sackfuls or khoh-ful ( bamboo basket) of produce. Left on his own he brings his individual meagre wares to Iewduh or the nearest District or Block level growth centre and with very limited bargaining power he is left to the mercy of dalals and middlemen. Institutionalised agricultural marketing through Cooperatives, Farmer cluster units, SHG Federations etc through which farmers can find collective bargaining power has yet to find expression in our farming practices. The pandemic has exposed these fundamental lacunae in our agricultural policies. We need to think afresh. We need to strengthen our cooperative movement. A coop should not be left to the mercies of its Chairman and Secretary. It must be a participative effort of all members. Capacity building and empowerment of all members should be the focal point of a cooperative. Only through such measurers can we bring in a viable agricultural ethos among our agriculturalists. A review of our Agricultural Policy is therefore called for wherein not only aspects of production as given priority but also focus on marketing such produce is given equal if not more attention.
Yours etc.,
Toki Blah,
Via email
Sad tale of a woman vendor
Editor,
How people are surviving this lockdown is beyond imagination. If we go deeper, we can’t help but weep for them. Even while the wound from the extended period of lockdown last year had not yet healed, the second wave of COVID has again dealt a heavy blow. Desperation among the weaker section of the community is clearly visible. Some have now begun to explore other means of livelihood that are not permitted during the COVID lockdown. Selling green vegetables and fruit in plastic bags has come easy, nay, the only available option. Others are selling fish from buckets. But their humble ventures are fraught with risk factors. Apart from the constant fear of police danda, their perishable produce gets shrivelled too soon. Have they really been able to meet their families’ needs by vending vegetables on the roadside where buyers are hardly visible? It’s a very serious question which should concern us and draw the kind attention of the higher authorities at the earliest.
Last week, when I was walking around Garikhana, I heard a shout – “Arphew, arphew.” The voice was of a woman selling coriander leaves near ICICI bank. I learned that she had in fact had sneaked a chance to bring just one small sack of green coriander from her village – Mawmih. She was selling a huge bunch of coriander for Rs 20, probably one bunch would have weighed about 600 to 800 gms. The huge effort she put in to bring the produce all the way from her village during the “partial” lockdown relaxation is no mean task. She had taken a great risk. Should we not find out what has compelled her to take such “risks?”
Yet, believe it or not, I saw some buyers coaxing the woman vendor to give away two bunches of green coriander for Rs 30. Instead of sympathizing with the plight of the poor, people tend to take advantage. I felt very sad. This is how the intelligence of human beings is “shrivelled” when greed overwhelms their better sense. The woman’s situation touched me. Since I was standing in front of her, the woman repeatedly asked me to purchase at least one bunch. It was drizzling that day; the woman was partially wet with her hair almost soaked. I even thought of giving her my umbrella. My inner voice said, “she needs it more than you do.” Perhaps she had not eaten well that morning. Lots of thoughts crossed my mind.
In the course of our conversation the woman told me she has four kids and a sick husband at home who is unable to work. I realized the family responsibility has entirely fallen on her shoulders. I was moved to tears immediately purchased three bunches of coriander from her and asked her to keep the change. But she would not. It was a little bigger note, so she refused outright. However, after much effort, I succeeded. The woman thanked me profusely with her emotive gestures and words. Then she humbly requested me to take remaining bunches of coriander. I declined and told her to wait; some buyers might turn up.
Finally, my last question to the woman was – why did she bring this one bag of coriander from her village to the town in this lockdown? She replied “I have six hungry mouths to feed, and most of our vegetables are decaying these days. We are suffering a great loss, Bah….” The plight of the woman pained me deeply. I was about to ask a few more questions when it started raining again. I handed over my umbrella to the woman and ran away from the scene.
Yours etc.,
Salil Gewali,
Shillong