Patna: The ongoing nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus has created stress on farmers across the Gopalganj district of Bihar, a source said on Tuesday.
Farmers across villages complained that they are being forced to dump their produce in the river as none of the traders are turning up to purchase the cultivated vegetables.
"I took a loan of Rs 2 lakh to carry out the cultivation process. For that, I had to go through a lot of struggle. I also put in a lot of hard work to see my crops growing but now when the crops are ready, no one is turning up to buy it because of lockdown. How will I be able to repay my loan now," Rajeswari Devi, one of the farmers stated.
Some other farmers accused that the government, on the other hand, has not done anything for them amidst the ongoing crisis. As they continue to face the wrath of COVID-19, experts say, the lockdown is expected to have a lasting impact on crops being harvested for the next season as well.
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However, another farmer added that even though the lockdown included exceptions on all forms of agricultural and allied activities, police action and the stringent imposition of the lockdown by district authorities have curtailed the farmers’ ability to arrange transport to ferry their produce. And even if they managed to get their produce to the markets, the lockdown has deeply cut down the number of wholesale buyers.
Further, the lockdown has not only led to a loss of income for farmers but also significant food wastage. With much of the produce unable to reach its destination due to major supply chain issues, vegetables, milk and the like have either been dumped into cattle feed or discarded.
