VIJAYAWADA/KAKINADA : It’s time for paddy harvest and this Rabbi, thanks to heavy rains last year, the yield has been better than before.
But, unfortunately, farmers are facing trouble in harvesting the crop due to reluctance of farmhands from coming to work due to lockdown and fear of COVID-19.
In East Godavari district, the rice bowl of Andhra Pradesh, farmers are anxious for having the paddy crop in their fields harvested before any calamity hits them.
Against the estimated paddy cultivating in 1.61 lakh hectares, the crop was cultivated in 1.64 lakh hectares in the district this Rabi season, as there were abundant rains last Monsoon.
With the scare of COVID-19 looming large, farmhands are reluctant to enter the fields. As a result, the weeds in the fields that grew along with paddy are yet to be removed.
Even if farmhands are ready, those from one village are not being allowed to enter others, with villagers fearing the virus spread.
Harvesting is taken up by a group of farmhands, who often come from surrounding villages. This is not just the case of East Godavari district, where a large number of rice mills are located, but also the problem being faced by other districts like West Godavari, Nellore, and Krishna district to an extent, where paddy was cultivated during Rabi.
In Nellore, 80 per cent of paddy has been harvested, mostly using local workers. However, most of the harvested crop is not threshed as farmhands are reluctant to take up the job.
“We have not yet received any such complaints so far, but will look into that aspect and take necessary measures,” said Agriculture Joint Director of Nellore district, when contacted by TNIE.
Admitting that the problem of farmhands existed for some time at the initial stages of harvesting paddy, which commenced recently, West Godavari district Agriculture Joint Director said they have initiated steps to resolve the issue.
“We are creating awareness that the Chief Minister has taken measures for uninterrupted agriculture operations with the only request that farmhands maintain social distance while working in the fields,” she said.
According to her, harvesters and other farm machinery, transport of harvested crop from fields to farmers’ homes or rice mills being allowed during the lockdown period.
Moreover, the farmhands are being provided with ‘permit’ tokens based on their Aadhar cards by the respective tahsildars, so that they can travel to the fields for work during the lockdown period.
In Krishna district, where farmers went for paddy cultivation for the first time during Rabi season in the past 10-years due to the availability of water from the reservoirs, harvesting will commence in the first week of April.
“It is true, farmhands are reluctant and in most of the villages, outsiders are being denied entry for the fear of virus spread to their village. However, we have initiated measures and hopefully, harvesting will be taken up sans any problem,” the official said.
APSAM vice-chairman MVS Nagi Reddy said they do not expect any problem with paddy, as it is not a perishable commodity.
State Govt may step in
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy directed officials to ensure that farmers are not subjected to any inconvenience and farm operations are not hindered.
Peculiar situation
Even if farmhands are ready, those from one village are not being allowed to enter others now. Harvesting generally is taken up by a group of farmhands from surrounding villages 1.64 lakh hectares
paddy cultivation in West Godavari district, the rice bowl of AP, as against 1.61 lakh hectares 80 per cent of paddy has been harvested in Nellore district, but most of the crop is not threshed as farmhands are reluctant to take up the job West Godavari, Nellore, and Krishna districts also facing similar situation