Farm And Food crisis due to lockdown
APMC yards Are open in many places for barely a few hours & see no footfall of traders, farmers say. With processing units closed & inter-border restrictions, sale/export of fruits like grapes, pomegranate, tomatoes has hit a roadblock.
Maize that should be at least Rs 2000/quintal being offered for Rs 800/quintal by farmers yet there are no takers. Plantain being sold at a paltry Rs 5-6/kilo causes huge losses to farmers. If they stop growing it now due to losses, imagine the cost we will pay in the near future.
Small & medium farmers cannot afford to pay for cold storage. The longer they keep their harvest, the more money they are losing, compelling them to either dump their produce or sell at a loss. Farmer leaders worry if govt doesn't help with procurement, situation will worsen more