In Maharastra, grapes and onions hog poll talk

In Khandesh, surplus grape and onion produce has not fetched the desired prices, prompting growers to question the Centre’s policies.
Fearing that distressed farmers might turn against the BJP, PM Modi has been focussing on farm-related issues in his campaign speeches in the area | PTI FILE
Fearing that distressed farmers might turn against the BJP, PM Modi has been focussing on farm-related issues in his campaign speeches in the area | PTI FILE

NANDURBAR/NASHIK: As India announced it was calling off all normal trade ties with Pakistan and even went to the extent of withdrawing the ‘Most Favoured Nation’ status granted to its neighbour, following the Pulwama terror attack, it hit the grape and onion growers in Vidarbha, Marathwada and Khandesh hard. The sheer scale of the impact it had on the export market was nothing short of an earthquake.

Nashik’ farmers had invested widely in vineyards but the returns were plateauing. The blow came with the closing of borders with Pakistan and then, other countries flooded the traditional markets the world over — especially Europe — with their produce. The palpable and universal anger over falling prices of these food items and pulses and lack of a better support price must have been the reason why, when PM Narendra Modi campaigned at Pimpalgaon in the Dindori Lok Sabha constituency on Monday, he spoke about both draksh (grapes) and kanda (onions) and assured that the government has taken right steps and the issues of their prices and sale would be addressed soon.

These assurances didn’t just underline the importance of farmers’ issues, along with that of tribal land and water, with regard to the poll discourse, but also brought them to the front and centre of an election campaign in the Nashik-Nandurbar belt that will vote in the fourth phase on April 29.

“Probably, the threat of farmer agitation — a sense that the electorate can go against them — might have compelled the PM to speak on farm-related issues. However, the Centre and state policies are wrong. Like the previous government, this government also thinks that money coming from treasury can save agriculture. The Congress’ NYAY and BJP’s Kisan Sanman are both examples of this mentality. None of them want to open up markets or strengthen them. That is the real issue,” said Shyam Ashtekar, a Nashik based scholar on agricultural economy and a farm activist.

Krishna Dongre, an onion grower at Yeola, who stopped wearing shirts after he incurred heavy losses due to sudden slump in the onion market three years back, was not allowed to attend the PM’s rally. “If they are so scared of my agitation, why don’t they do something?” he said. Asked how he incurred losses, Dongre said that he had doubled the area under onion cultivation, on his farm, and the slump in the market next year resulted in him suffering heavy losses.

“This is a typical situation. Volatility in the market price and area instability are interdependent. It makes for a vicious cycle. Timely market information on prices, upgrading information, creating storage facility and extending weather-based crop insurance to farmers is the key to overcoming such issues and we are certainly moving towards that direction,” Sadabhau Khot, minister of state for agriculture in Fadnavis government, said.

The area under onion cultivation in Maharashtra has been increasing at a rate of around 6.4% over the last 10 years, but, on productivity count, it lags behind several countries in the world. India tops onion production in the world and Maharashtra holds 33% of the domestic production share.“However, to keep the urban voters happy, the government intervenes whenever prices go up and bans exports. This is unfair,” said Anil Ghanwat, state president of Shetkari Sanghatana, pointing out that overproduction is becoming a problem for farmers as it leads to drop in prices.

“Grape growers in Nashik have started producing export quality grapes. However, due to excess production, those expecting to sell their produce at a rate of between Rs 35 and Rs 40 per kg got only between Rs 17 and Rs 18. This happened despite the fact that Maharashtra accounts for almost 80% of the country’s grape export,” Ghanwat said, blaming the Modi government for continuing the previous government’s policies of minimal intervention in this particular sector.

“Increasing processing industries like wineries is the way out, but the government has no policy on this,” he said.In Nandurbar, Modi assured tribals of their right on forest land and said the water from Naar-Paar project on the Tapi would come to the fields in north Maharashtra. Though he was not very clear and only said that, “No one would be able to snatch land from tribals”, the statement is being interpreted in the light of the long march of tribals last year seeking settlement of forest right claims and the fact that the force behind the march, CPI(M) MLA JP Gavit, is a candidate from Dindori.

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