Not just the farmers,the slump in kharif crop production has cast an ugly shadow on the seamen as well. The fall in yield,especially of sugar,soyabean and rice,has left the operators of vahan (countrymade small sailing vessels) in hot water. With exports registering a decline,over 40 per cent of the nearly 500 vessels now lie anchored on the shores. For the Vahanvatta industry,which directly or indirectly employs two lakh people seamen,owners,cleaning agents and exporters included mainly concentrated in Salaya in Jamnagar and Mandvi in Kutch districts,it is a difficult time. Last year,it was the global meltdown that had crunched export orders. But this time,it is the fall in yield due to the twin impacts of drought in most parts of India and floods in Andhra Pradesh,Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra that has badly affected the community. It has been almost two months that the sailing season has started,but Haroon Jafar,a seaman,laments that he is still at home. By October,I do at least one trip to the Gulf or Africa. But this time I am still waiting for a call from my master, he said. Adam Bhaya,secretary of the Salaya Vahanvatta Association,said: There are around 350 vessels in Salaya. More than 40 per cent are still anchored. Normally,the season starts by September,but its October-end and many vessel masters are still waiting for assignments. These wooden vessels mainly take sugar,rice and soyabean to the Gulf and African countries and bring back dry and wet dates. But with Indian sugar export taking a U-turn this season,vessel owners say there has been no outbound and subsequently,inbound trips. From being the biggest consumer and the second largest producer of sugar in 2007-2008,India became an importer in 2009-2010 which led to a record 40 per cent hike in sugar prices in a years time. The small ports in Saurashtra-Kutch,including Salaya,Mandvi,Veraval and Porbandar,account for export of nearly six lakh tonnes of sugar. Salaya alone accounts for two lakh tonnes of export of sugar,but this time it is nil, said Bhaya.
