COVID-19: Farmers cultivating peas are a worried lot
Pulwama: Vegetable farmers who have sowed peas in their fields are a worried lot as the lockdown following the coronavirus pandemic has meant that they will get least buyers for the produce.
Farmers from different areas of Kashmir said that they were earning good amount by growing peas as commercial crop but this year covid-19 lockdown is likely to hit them.
Irshad Ahmad a young farmer from Patalbagh Pampore said that their village of over 500 household was gaining the share in vegetable market and almost all households who are into vegetable farming were eyeing to send peas to different states of India this year.
“We produce pea in April and during this period we experience a vibrant demand for peas in many states of India like Bangalore and other central Indian states,” Irshad added.
He said that this year it seems that they won’t be even able to take their produce to the local market and not to think about sending it to outside states.
“During the last two years this small village managed to achieve a turnover of Rupees Two crore 30 lakh by selling peas to various distributors from outside states. However, this year the situation seems grim as the covid-19 lockdown is likely to take its toll,” rued Irshad.
Another Famer hailing from the same locality said that Patalbagh and adjacent villages produce pea on over 400 Kanals of land as commercial crop.
“Even a small marginal farmer earns around 50 thousand Rupees on his produce annually,” said Showkat, another young farmer.
“This area is wholly dependent on vegetable production and no farmer in the area is tempted to grow banned crops like poppy or cannabis,” he said.
“The vegetable farming is helping the entire population in the area to improve their economic condition. But the lockdown has kept all the locals in suspense this year,” added Showkat.
He said that within a week’s time the crop will be ready and the harvest can extend by upto another four weeks.
“Now our only hope is on the government and we are appealing the authorities to help us send our produce to different markets so that we may be able to at least recover the cost which we have incurred on the farming during the past several months,” he added.
