More on Covid-19

NEW DELHI: Amid hardship to farmers during lockdown period, the Union home ministry on Friday reminded the states of its last week’s order that allowed exemptions to farmers for carrying out harvest operations and movement of their farm produce to agri markets. These exemptions are also crucial to maintain supply chain of fruits, vegetables and foodgrains in coming days.In addition to the home ministry’s reminder to states, the agriculture ministry on Friday held video-conference with state representatives to review the payment of insurance claims and crop loss survey so that the farmers do not suffer due to delay during the lockdown period, specifically when they will also have to prepare their farms for next sowing operation in many parts of the country.Keeping in view the harvesting and sowing season, the home ministry had on March 27 put farmers, farm workers, custom hiring centres for farm machineries, procurement agencies, inter-state and intra-state movement of combine harvesters, and manufacturing units and packaging units of pesticides, fertilisers and seeds under the exempted categories. It was meant to allow farmers to continue with their agricultural operations during the lockdown period which coincides with the peak harvest season.However, farmers from many states continued to face problem on the ground.The home ministry too on Friday noted this problem. It in its note to chief secretaries of states, the ministry said though exceptions have been allowed for farming operations by farmers and farm workers, procurement of agricultural production, operation of ‘mandis’ and movement of harvesting and sowing related machinery, these exceptions (exemptions) “have not percolated down at the field level”.Underlining these points, Union Home Secretary, Ajay Bhalla, in his note to states, said, “With a view to ensure smooth harvesting and sowing operations, while maintaining social distancing, it is requested that the exceptions allowed for agriculture sector must be communicated to all field agencies”.Besides, the home ministry on Friday issued addendum to its lockdown guidelines, making the list of exemptions bigger by exempting operations of shops of agricultural machinery, its spare parts (supply chain) and repair.Additionally, truck repair shops on highways and tea industry, including plantations with maximum 50 workers, are also kept under exempted categories during the lockdown period — it means these operations will be allowed with maintaining social distancing and taking other precautions to safeguard against the coronavirus infections.The home ministry had last week issued the list of exemptions in the wake of demands from farmers as they could not afford to leave their Rabi (winter sown) crops in the field during the lockdown period. The crops of wheat, gram, mustard and lentils are ready for harvest in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and other parts in central India.The agriculture ministry, meanwhile on Friday, said ‘Kisan Call Centres’ at all 21 locations were being operated during the lockdown period so that farmers could get all necessary advisories for their harvesting and sowing operations.Besides, phytosanitary certification for export consignments and import releases of plant and plant products are continuing, said the ministry. It said a total of 3776 certificates for export consignments and 1074 for import have been issued during the lockdown period ( till Thursday ).In addition to this, ministry claimed, the necessary coordination is being done with growers, aggregators, wholesalers, mandi associations, State Horticulture Missions , for smooth transport of the commodities and to sort out all difficulties for providing support to horticulture crops.