SHILLONG: Faced with extreme hardships and dilemma, farmers under the umbrella of Khasi-Jaintia Farmers’ Association (KJFA) have decided to call a protest rally in a few months against the Government’s apathy.
The farmers met here on Monday to discuss what line of action should be taken to make the Meghalaya Government address their grievances effectively.
Most of the small and marginal farmers are landlessness. They have to pay high rent for cultivating crops in landlords’ land. Also, there is uncertainty due to natural calamities.
There are other problems also like indebtedness to banks for crop loans, non-remunerative prices for agricultural and horticultural produce, exploitation by traders and middlemen, non-availability of organic and chemical fertilizers and their high cost, non-availability and high cost of agricultural inputs and good seeds, and non-availability of storage, lack of market network and high transport cost.
The farmers’ body said it was tired of the Government’s indifference and betrayal and would give a fitting reply in the 2018 Assembly elections.
The aggrieved farmers said government officials often hide information about welfare schemes and packages meant for them are either misused or siphoned off. Members of the association have decided to call a rally of farmers in the next few months to further discuss their plight and jointly take effective and determined actions to make sure that the present Government addresses their problems.
