State has to protect the rights of the farmers

The budget for the new fiscal year was proposed at a time when frustrated farmers were setting fire to their cropland after not getting due prices for the rice they grew. We expected that the finance minister would explain the situation prevailing in the food and agriculture sectors and take steps in the budget to address the problems. Unfortunately, that did not happen. The budget speech did not mention anything to this end.

In the past, farmers faced challenges when the price of fertilisers skyrocketed. But of late, we did not see such massive problems. The people were benefitted thanks to a number of steps the government had taken.

But this time, the farmers’ interest is not being preserved. It is the duty of the state to ensure that the farmers get due price for the things they grow. Sadly, there are not policies that safeguard the rights of the farmers.

The new budget has proposed crop insurance besides continuing the process of supplying agricultural components. But that has failed to earn the trust of the farmers. It is not clear how crop insurance will protect their interest. Crop insurance is related to the weather and natural calamities, but at present the biggest challenges are increased production cost and they not getting due prices.

Many of the farmers are stuck in the vicious circle of loans. A farmer named Kunjomohon recently committed suicide in Thakurgaon. We can debate over the reason for his death, but the truth is that he took loans from different NGOs and cooperatives, but could not repay them because he did not get due price for the rice he grew.

The government may think that they are doing enough by providing fertilisers, pesticide and dredging facilities, but the reality is that the price is controlled by the market in an open economy.

We think it is high time we looked into the cases and amended the mistakes. If the situation does not improve, farmers may stop being farmers and try to switch to other professions. That will not only cause a crisis in the agriculture sector but also may contribute to internal habituation problem.

The government should introduce policies that will protect the rights of the farmers. The farmers are usually in a hurry to sell the portion of the produce they get after the land owner and the middleman get their shares. Whereas they could get a better price if they could wait and sell a few days later.

We have to remember that the lands are less fertile now, and water, fertiliser and pesticide are needed in more quantities than the previous years, which result in increased production cost. So it is a must for the state to do something for the farmers, something she did a decade back.

We still see no alternative than to buy the produce directly from the farmers to ensure stability in the market. The number of cold storages needs to be increased. We demand an amendment in the budget regarding this. Crops need to be bought from the farmers in due time and we need to act to stop the involvement of the middlemen. To ensure proper storage, we need more store houses and cold storages.