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| Amid COVID-19 lockdown, Jammu farmers a worried lot | | Labour unavailable, combine harvesters likely to reach late due to delayed harvesting in other states | | Early Times Report
jammu, Apr 13: Amid country wide lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic, the farmers of Jammu region are a worried lot with the harvesting season of Rabi crop is knocking at the doors but there is minimum labour available along with likely delay in coming of the combine harvesters from other states.
The farmers of Jammu region had incurred huge losses due to inclement weather conditions during the sowing of Rabi crops as around 25 percent of the net sown area of Jammu province was either not sown or destroyed during rains.
As the remaining Rabi crop especially the wheat is becoming mature for harvesting, another worries have surrounded the farmers. These worries have been contributed by the COVID-19 lockdown across the country.
Most of the farmers of the irrigated belts of Jammu province including district Samba, Kathua and Jammu are either depend on labour from other states for cutting of the crop. Moreover a large number of farmers also take the help of machines such as Reapers, Combine harvesters to harvest the crops.
"The labour from other states are the main forces behind manual harvesting in Jammu province but due to lockdown, majority of them have migrated to their native places", a farmer said, adding that they have been depend on local labourers or the family members for the harvesting, which would make things complicated.
An official of Agriculture Production department pleading anonymity said that across Jammu province, there were only six Combine harvesters, while the rest of Combine harvesters came from other states after finishing the harvesting there.
"These combine harvesters starts harvesting from Southern parts of country where harvesting of Rabi crops starts early and after covering Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pardesh, Punjab, some of the Combine harvesters moved towards Jammu region", the official said, adding that but due to COVID-19 shutdown, the harvesting season in all other states has been delayed and the Combine harvesters would likely to reach late, which would be problematic for farmers.
Around 50-60 Combine harvesters usually came to Jammu region during the Rabi harvesting season. "Though in Jammu region the harvesting season will start after 24th of April but if the Combine harvesters would not reach on time the Jammu farmers would suffer a lot", the official said, adding that the department has already taken up the matter with the respective quarters to make easy the coming of Combine harvesters in Jammu.
"We have already issued health advisories to the farmers for harvesting of Rabi crop. Moreover in view of likely delay in coming of Combine harvesters we have asked the farmers to mobilize local labour or persuade the labours stationed in Jammu for the harvesting", a senior official of Agriculture department said, adding that Reapers, Threshers available in Jammu region among farmers as well as with the department have been made ready for the harvesting.
He further said that a Cell has been established at Lakhanpur for hurdle free entry of the Combine-harvesters. "We have taken up the matter with DC Kathua to make necessary arrangements for the visit of the Combine harvesters as well as the operational team of the Combine", the official said, adding that if the rains would play spoilsport, the farmers would be badly hit as during sowing season. |
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