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Video Editor: Ashutosh Bhardwaj
The nationwide lockdown announced to curb the spread of COVID-19, has been extended till 3 May as confirmed cases cross 12,000 in India. The lockdown has taken a toll on farmers across the nation. The Quint spoke to some of the farmers from Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh to understand their concerns.
Abhishek Kumar, a farmer from Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh said the wheat in his field is now ready to be cut but he is not able to get labourers to harvest the crop and if he decides to arrange a harvester to harvest his crops, then there is no fodder left for the animals.
Rajesh, a resident of Varanasi, had planted papayas in his field. He said that he is unable to pluck the papayas and sell them in the market amid lockdown. Rajesh added that farmers like him are not getting any help from the government.
Ramkaran, a farmer from Shahjahanpur, told The Quint that he is having a lot of trouble with the lockdown because he is neither able to take care of the crop in his field nor sustain his family.
Ajay Patel, a farmer from Fatehpur, planted wheat in his field. When he was unable to arrange labourers for harvesting, he decided to use a harvester. In the process, the field caught fire and about acres were burnt. He said that his family is now on the verge of starving.
These farmers urge the governments to help them harvest and sell their crops. Manohar Jagirdar, a farmer from Bhopal, appealed to the government, “The crops are ready. I urge the government to buy these crops as soon as possible so that the farmers do not face further problems and their crops aren’t ruined.”
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