Labour crunch hits rabi harvesting

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, March 26

As the harvesting of mustard started while that of wheat is also likely to begin in a month, the farmers are now facing a shortage of labour.

They said the labourers were not available even at higher wages, which was leading to the delay in harvesting of rabi crops.

Hisar and adjoining districts, including Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Fatehabad and Mahendergarh, have mustard as the main rabi crop. Farmers said the mustard sown in advance had been harvested while the season is going as the crop had ripened now. The delay can result in damage to the crop during harvesting as the process will go slow in the absence of adequate manpower.

Sombir Singh Dillon, a farmer in Bardu Purn village in Bhiwani district, said though he managed to engage labourers from Bihar but they were staying put in Bahadurgarh town of Jhajjar district. “Due to the lockdown and sealing of the inter-district borders, they are unable to come to my village. Hence, I along with my family have decided to start the harvesting of mustard on our own,” he added.

Raman Singh, a farmer of Kirtan village, said they waited for about a week before the lockdown in hope that the situation would ease and the combine machines from Punjab would start arriving. “But only one combine machine is available in our region, which is in high demand. Many farming families have started harvesting on their own,” he added.

Wages up by 25% to 50%

A farmer, Bhoop Singh of the Barwala region, said he managed to hire a group of 15 labourers from Bihar. “They harvested my mustard crop on four acres and now have gone to Dandur village. The farmer who hires them have the entire responsibility to arrange food and shelter for this group of labourers, who are staying in the fields,” he said, adding that the labour rates have also gone by 25% to 50% due to the shortage.

Amit Singh of Nangal village in Bhiwani district, said earlier harvesting rate for one acre land was Rs1,000 but now it’s Rs1,300 to Rs1500 per acre. He said the situation would toughen in the next few weeks as the harvesting of wheat was likely to start soon. “We either need the combine or the labourers as wheat harvesting is a tough job,” he said.

Equipment being arranged

In a relief to the farmers, Agriculture Minister JP Dalal on Thursday said the state government would make arrangements so that the farming equipment such as combine machines could reach farmers for the harvesting of rabi crops. He said the farmers taking their produce to the mandis for procurement would not be stopped once the season begins.

Hooda seeks bonus for farmers

Chandigarh: Backing the state for its measures to contain Covid, ex-CM and LoP Bhupinder Hooda on Thursday raised the concerns of farmers over harvesting amid lockdown. He said they didn’t know how they would harvest mustard and wheat and take it to the markets. He sought guidelines for harvesting and bonus to compensate the farmers. He also called upon the state to seek financial package from the Centre. TNS

Procurement of MUSTArD may begin from April 15, wheat from APRIL 20, says CM

• Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar says with lockdown till April 14, arrangements are being made to start the procurement of mustard and wheat on April 15 and April 20, respectively, if the situation gets favourable
• He urged farmers to stock the grain at their homes till then. “In case any farmer faces trouble doing the same, the marketing board has been told to look into the matter.” He says a new scheme will announced to make up for faremers’ losses.