Agricultural activities pick up amid lockdown

Kolhapur: Moderate rainfall in the past few days coupled with relaxation in lockdown rules from Monday has led to increase in agricultural activities across the district.
Farmers have started the process of tilling and mixing the soil for kharif crops. However, many of them are worried about lack of manpower to carry out the activities in the farm.
Dnyaneshwar Wakure, district agricultural officer (Kolhapur), said, "Since lockdown has been imposed on March 24, there has been no interruption in some agricultural activities like procuring vegetable and fruits, irrigating the farm and supply of agriculture produce to the market as it has been included in the list of essential activities.The activities that can be done by the farmer alone were not stopped by the government."
He added, "After the notification was issued by the central government, the farmers will be now allowed to take up agricultural activities related to kharif season like tilling the land, using tractors and other activities like procuring fertilisers and deploying workers on the fields."
According to the notification issued by the central government, people and agencies procuring agri products will be allowed to operate. Shops related to the agricultural machinery, spare parts and repairs will also be allowed to operate.
"We have already granted permission for distribution of fertilisers to the retailers concerned," Wakure said.
"Farmers who are living in cities and town and want to move to their villages for carrying out agricultural activities will have to apply with us for a pass. After getting approval of the village-level committees, they will be allowed to travel to their villages," he added.
The official said that number of such farmers is meagre. "Of the total 9.50 lakh farmers in the district, only 600 farmers have applied for the pass," he said.
Sandeep Arun Belgudri, a farmer from Gadhinglaj taluka, said, "As the government has relaxed some norms on our movement, we are planning to deploy tractor in our farm for tilling the land as a part of preparation for kharif crops."