Across India, a Massive Agricultural Crisis in the Making Due to Coronavirus Shutdown
The lockdown has severely disrupted India’s agricultural sector, starving it of buyers and migrant laborers as the restrictions halt people’s movements, reports The New Indian Express. With a sharp decline in takers for vegetables, fruits and flowers, farmers are looking to the government for help.
Uttar Pradesh
For the farmers, who were facing huge financial losses owing to untimely rain and hailstorms in January and February and even March, the lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak had proved a double whammy.The future was seemingly uncertain not only for those whose rabi crop was standing ready in the fields for harvesting but also lakhs of cane-growers in western UP, prepared with fields for sowing. All were clueless about reaching their fields as ban was imposed movement because of the pandemic and all were facing the acute dearth of agricultural laborers.
At this juncture, the timely personal intervention by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath brought a big respite to the community. Harvesting commenced in Uttar Pradesh on April 5 and is going on in full swing. To bring relief to farmers, the CM contacted the authorities concerned at the Centre seeking permission for allowing farmers and agri labourers to work in fields.
Continue reading at The New Indian Express.
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