Coronavirus: Temple festivals, marriages off the list; TN farmers in distress

The relaxation provided to the farming community to carry on their work in the midst of COVID-19 lockdown might have ensured smooth cultivation and harvesting of crops in Tamil Nadu, but the huge gap between the supply and demand for fruits, vegetables and flowers have left farmers who cultivate and grow them a worried lot.

These farmers earn maximum from March to September as numerous religious festivals, marriages and other mass gatherings in Tamil Nadu fall during this season.

With COVID-19 and social distancing norms shutting the doors of temples and paving the way for restriction on the way marriages are conducted, tons of fruits, vegetables, and flowers are lying at farms and in the homes of thousands of farmers across the state. Closing of juice shops in peak summer season and uncertainty on what would unfold in the coming months are also adding to farmers’ woes.

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On its part, the Tamil Nadu government has been proactive in ensuring a smooth supply of vegetables and fruits reaching markets from the farms, but the “huge gap” between the supply and demand is making things difficult for farmers.

Besides other measures, the government has also announced that farmers can make use of 138 cold storages with a huge capacity of 13,600 metric tonnes owned by it across the state for free of cost to ensure they do not get rotten.

Less demand, more supply

“Cultivation and harvesting are smooth thanks to the government. But our problem now is selling our produce. Only 20 to 30 percent of the vegetables and fruits are for use in households while the rest is for mass consumption. Where do we sell our products if there is no marriage and temple festival for the next few months? Our problems have only compounded,” P R Pandian, Coordinator, Tamil Nadu All Farmers Organisations Committee, told DH.

Several temples in Tamil Nadu wear a festive look during the Tamil month of Panguni, Chithirai, Vaigasi, Aani, Aadi and Aavani (Mid-March to mid-September) for their annual festivals -- some of these months are considered very auspicious for tying the knot as well. The market for flowers also diminished as people are confined to their homes.

Pandian also sought to know where farmers will sell their flowers if no temple is opened and festivals are cancelled. “Temples procure tons of flowers during this season and, while vegetables and fruits will go for mass consumption due to festivals and marriages during this season. All of this is almost gone this year,” he added.

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Farmers who grow banana, watermelon, musk melon, vegetables, and flowers are the worst affected this season as all festivals have either been cancelled or postponed and juice shops have been asked to down their shutters. The majority of these fruits cannot be kept inside cold storages for long, they point out.

Bridging the gap between supply and demand

Admitting the existence of a gap between supply and demand, Principal Secretary (Agriculture) Gagandeep Singh Bedi explained to DH the measures being taken by the government to help farmers during the COVID-19 lockdown.

“We have almost normalised the supply chain from Tamil Nadu to Kerala and Karnataka while ensuring the functioning of wholesale fruit and vegetable market across the state. We have also launched 4,600 mobile fruit and vegetable markets to help the products reach the end-customers. The government is also facilitating trading of harvested pulses,” he said.

Besides operationalizing Uzhavar Sandhai (farmers’ market), the government has ensured that the supply chain was intact during the crisis.

“We are trying to help the farmers through various measures but still the gap between supply and demand exists and it needs to be bridged. Marriages are not taking place and there are no festivals which means there is no market for fruits and flowers,” Bedi added.

Mahadhanapuram Rajaram, a banana farmer in the Cauvery Delta region, said the demand for the banana leaf is almost nil since the outbreak of COVID-19 and farmers are struggling to sell their produce due to less demand in the market. “Some have not plucked bananas from their trees due to less demand. Almost 90 per cent of the bananas have reached ripening state and they cannot be kept in cold storage for more than a week,” he told DH.

Farmers’ woes

Banana leaves and bananas are extensively used in temple festivals and marriages and there is absolutely no demand for them in the market, Rajaram said. “Cold storages are not an option for small farmers. It can be an option only when the government buys the product from us and keep it there. Unless that happens, we cannot keep our products be it banana or anything in cold storage,” he added.

Palaniswami, a farmer from Tiruppur district, says farmers will suffer losses to the tune of crores of rupees if the situation continues. “Bananas are usually sold in tea stalls and small shops. All of them have now been closed and people who have cultivated banana and were hoping to make money by selling banana leaf during marriage season don’t know how to sell their produce,” he said.

With juice shops also closed, farmers who grew watermelon and musk melon are either selling them at dead cheap rates or let them rot in their own gardens. These farmers make maximum money during the Summer and COVID-19 has taken away more than a month’s revenue from them.

“We sell these watermelons and musk melons to juice shops and vendors who sell on the roadside. With a blanket ban on all such shops, we are left high and dry. We cannot keep them for long. They got rotten after some time. What do we do?” a farmer, who cultivated watermelon, asked.

Acknowledging the woes of flower growers, Bedi said the government negotiated with manufacturers of perfume growers and ensure buying of 35 metric tonnes of flowers. “Still that is also not enough. We are trying our best,” he added.

The way out

Pandian wanted the Tamil Nadu government to step in and waive off loans availed by farmers who will not be able to overcome the losses from the situation arising out of COVID-19. “Farmers are already reeling under stress and economic crisis. They will not be able to survive if the government does not help. We want a waiver of all loans by the administration,” Pandian said.