Kerala: Strawberry farmers worst-hit by COVID-19 lockdown

As India enters into its second week of countrywide lockdown, farmers cultivating strawberries in the Kerala region, who are unable to sell their produce in the markets continue to be the worst affected lot during the lockdown owing to the Coronavirus pandemic. 

Farmers suffer due to lockdown

The striving business of a number of farmers suffered a huge hit as the lockdown implemented by the centre and state authorities forced the closure of many retail stores bringing the sale of the farmer's produce like strawberries and carrots in the Munnar region of Idukki to a complete halt. 

As a result, the hapless farmers who were solely dependent on retail shops for the sale of their products, like strawberries suffered huge losses in their business. 

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Govt provides aid to Farmers

However, even as times are testing, the Government came to farmers' rescue by devising ways to provide some aid to those strawberry farmers who were incurring huge losses. In a relief to such farmers, the government granted relaxation to agriculture-farming and allied activities to ensure uninterrupted harvesting of crops. 

As per a release by the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ministry, activities related to agriculture were also brought under the exception category from the day of the enforcement of the 21-day lockdown to contain the spread of Coronavirus. While the government granted relaxation in view of the unhindered harvesting of crops, other categories, which were also exempted from the lockdown include agencies engaged in procurement of agriculture products, including MSP (minimum support price) operations and 'mandis' operated by the Agriculture Produce Market Committee. 

The exemptions also included farming operations by farmers and farmworkers in the field and 'Custom Hiring Centres (CHC)' related to farm machinery. Manufacturing and packaging units of fertilisers, pesticides and seed and intra-state and inter-state movement of harvesting and sowing related machines were also in the exempted category.

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(with inputs from ANI)