ASSAM TIMES POST
Sushanta Roy
Diphu: Amid growing intensity of the COVID -19 obligatory tribulations like intricacy in managing the harvested crops and vegetable has cropped up in Karbi Anglong, particularly in absence of cold storage or proper destruction system. According to information received vegetable cultivators in Karbi Anglong are facing hardship due to elongation of nationwide lockdown.The prices of vegetables have rocketed and on the flipside vegetables locally produced are rotting due to the haulage bottleneck. Tones of vegetables had to be thrown away unsold.
In Diphu, headquarter town of Karbi Anglong Autonomous districts the prices of vegetables have raised by 50 to 100%; potatoes per kg that was sold in retail at Rs 20 to Rs 25 per kg earlier has shot up to Rs 30per kg. Similarly, cabbage is sold at Rs 40 per kg which was sold at Rs 30 before the lockdown. Chili is sold at Rs 120 to Rs 200 per kg which was sold at Rs 80 per kg. Tomatoes, most common vegetable, have no buyers even at Rs 3 a kg when the farmers sell them, but now it is sold at Rs 40 per kg in Diphu. The end result is that the farmers of the two hill districts are suffering and many are in alarmed about repaying their bank loans.
Nimai Sinha, a tomato cultivator of Natun Basti, Bakalia one of the best agricultural zone of the district lamented after damage of his harvested crop. “My tomatoes have got damaged as the markets have not opened. I have taken KCC loan to cultivate vegetables but in this situation how will I pay repay my loan.”Satyaranjan Sinha, another cultivator of same village said he had lost lakhs of rupees. Among the effected are Paresh Das, Hejuram Das, Noni Das, Sankar Das, Harekrishna Singh and hundreds of others facing a tough time. Till now Agriculture Department functioning under Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council has not come up with any support plan for the cultivators.
In Bokajan sub-division, during the first ten days of the lockdown, the vegetables rotted in the stall as the markets were suddenly closed; retailers and growers sufferers most, but market has stabilized now but the prices of organic vegetables have gone up by 50% to 80%. In Baithalangso, West Karbi Anglong, most of the vegetable growers are selling directly to the consumers at a cheaper price.
