Kerala: Hopes wilt away in farming sector

Kozhikode: The demonetisation has left the  ginger and areca farmers high and dry with the prices of both crashing and leaving many jobless.  The farmers’ societies collecting milk, tea leaves and wild produce also are in dire straits due to currency shortage.  The societies are planning an agitation in front of banks which are not supplying enough currency. All-India Kissan Sabha national treasurer P. Krishnaprasad told DC that  the agriculture sector has been affected badly by demonetisation. “The prices of ginger and areca have touched the nadir during the harvesting season,”  he said and added  that the price of one kg of processed arecanut, which was around '90 last year,  had been reduced to Rs 60.

“Adding to the woes, there are no takers for the produce in the market,”  he said. Even if somebody buys it, it is not certain when one will get the  money.  Market players pointed out that 90 percent of the traders were unregistered and received the money as currency. Now all these traders have to go for proper registration, licences and billing procedures.   The farmers’ societies are struggling to disburse money to  those who supply milk, forest produce  and green tea leaves. Baby Varghese of ‘Wayanad Milk’ told DC that with the Rs 24,000 allotted  every week and Rs 50,000 for a current account, they were  unable to distribute the  milk prices to dairy farmers.

“We used to disburse  Rs 1.5 crore to the  farmers in a month,” he added. “Though we credit the amount to the account of the farmers they are unable to withdraw it for their   needs,”  he said. “Most of our farmers live in remote villages who have no easy access to banks,”  he said.   The farming community is worried about the upcoming mega harvest season of pepper and coffee as the majority employ  daily labourers from Karnataka. “If the crisis continues in the coming months the farm sector would be destroyed,” he said.