Despite agricultural reforms in state, farmers battle for sustenance
With recurring unseasonal rain and hailstorm, the farmers are burdened with financial losses.
With short term challenges due to climatic changes keeping the government on its toes, sweeping long term agriculture reforms of making farmers self reliant and the agriculture sector sustainable have been subjected to a long pause in Maharashtra.
With recurring unseasonal rain and hailstorm, the farmers are burdened with financial losses.
On its part, the state government had to extend crop loss compensation to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.
“In the last one year, the state was confronted with vagaries of nature untimely excess rainfall and hairline times. We provided compensation of more than Rs 10,000 crore to farmers ,” Fadnavis, who also holds finance portfolio, said.
In the March 2023-24 Budget, the state government made a provision of Rs 30,000 crore towards welfare schemes for farmers. The government wanted farming to be sustainable. As a step forward, it announced a total of Rs 12,000 honorarium per annum for the farmers.
Under the Namo Shetkari Mahasamman Nidhi, farmers are entitled to Rs 6,000 every year which is in addition to the Rs 6,000 annual central scheme, PM Kisan Samman Yojna. The government also introduced a Re one crop insurance which calls for an additional financial burden of Rs 3,312 crore.
The government also provides farmers of the 14 distressed districts of Marathawada and Viarbha regions a yearly cash benefit of Rs 18,000 instead of food grains in rations under the Public Distribution System. However, despite the government rolling out several welfare schemes, the farmers do not seem to be happy. Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana president and farmer leader Raju Shetti said, “On paper, everything looks very promising. We are not questioning the schemes. But why are they not being implemented in letter and spirit? ”
According to Shetti, “The biggest challenge for the farmers which is yet to be addressed is the overall investment expenditure. The 22 per cent hike in fertilizer prices by the Centre defeats all welfare schemes which the state extended to the farmers.”The climatic changes led to not just farmers suffering crop damage but also lower remuneration for the available crop.
On March 15, more than 10,000 farmers and Adivasis set out on a foot march from Dindori in Nashik district to Mumbai.
Under the banner of All India Kisan Samiti, farmers, farm labourers and Adivasis put forth a 17-point charter. Their main demands included the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 and higher remuneration of farm crops, mainly tur, soyabean, cotton, Bengal gram, onions etc. The farmers also sought electricity bill waiver and uninterrupted power supply for 12 hours in day time.
Former CPI(M) MLA Pandurang Gavit said, “Despite three long marches, the plight of the Adivasis, farmers and farm labourers has remained unaddressed. Following assurance from Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Fadnavis, we decided to give them one more opportunity to fulfill the promise.”
The steep decline in onion prices has also had a devastating effect on the farmers.
From Rs 25 to 35 per kg, the prices crashed to Re one and two per kg. Following outrage, the government provided Rs 300 per quintal subsidy to onion cultivators. But the farmers’ organisation felt it was not enough to recover the entire loss.
It should have been at least Rs 500 per quintal, the leaders said. The worst hit were small and marginal farmers of Vidarbha and Marathwada, parts of North and Western Maharashtra. The two cyclones in a year also badly hit the farmers in the Konkan region.
Meanwhile, the price fluctuation in soyabean and cotton proved to be disastrous for the farmers in the backward regions. Angry farmers in Yavatmal set fire to cotton bales. A group of farmers failed to fetch even the minimum price for soyabean.
Farmer leader Vijay Jawandia said, “The cotton and soyabean farmers have suffered a lot due to climate challenges coupled with fall in prices.” To compound the farmers’ crisis, a delayed monsoon brought new challenges.
State Agriculture Minister Abdul Sattar has assured to crack a whip on seed companies for selling seeds at higher prices. However, he added that panic buying has led farmers to shell out higher rates for seeds.
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