Backward, forsaken Parbhani now pays among highest for fuel in India

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“Due to the ongoing strike of the state transport buses, we were left with no option but to ride two-wheelers to go to the market. But now, due to the price rise, we walk for 5 to 8 km on foot then take a lift on bullock carts,” said Dhage.

The fuel prices are so high in the district because of its location. A fuel tanker from Parbhani covers almost 730 km in a round trip to the nearest fuel depot in Panewadi, near Manmad, in Nashik district.

District Collector Aanchal Goyal told The Indian Express, “The supply point for Parbhani is in Manmad. The price of fuel for citizens is decided inclusive of the transportation cost. Because of the geographical location of the district, the transportation cost is more here.”

Kishore Radhakrishan Dhage said in the last harvest season he invested around Rs 60,000, including seeds worth Rs 10,000, to grow soybean. His profit, in the end, was a mere Rs 12,000. (Express photo)

The high fuel prices have also had a knock-on effect as fertiliser and seed costs, and the hiring rate of labourers have gone up. Taking advantage of the unprecedented situation, local dealers have also hiked the rental price of agricultural equipment. Farmers said their production was now up 30 to 40 per cent.

The cost of renting nagarti — ploughing equipment attached to the back of tractors — has increased from Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 per acre. Similarly, the rate of renting a rotavator — used for mixing, pulverisation, puddling and levelling fields — has surged from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500.

“The price of a pair of bullocks is between Rs 80,000 and Rs 1.15 lakh. Small farmers with two to three acres of land cannot afford to buy and maintain cattle for farming. So, 90 per cent of the farmers are dependent on rental tractors and are facing huge monetary loss due to such exploitation,” said fruit cultivator Kantarao Deshmukh in Zari village.

Even as production cost rises, the selling price of produce has not, says fruit cultivator Kantarao Deshmukh. (Express photo)

Many farmers in distress being forced to use bullocks for cultivation are taking loans to buy cattle. Banegaon village resident Pandit Gangadhar Bhosale, who cultivates jowar (sorghum), said, “It takes three hours to plough a land with a tractor. But bullocks take over two days to do the same. Some days, I feel dizzy due to the heat but no one cares about how fuel prices affect farmers.”

The cultivators are now also dependent on diesel engines because of frequent power cuts. “Even a strong breeze disrupts the electricity supply in the villages. Most days, the villages have electricity at night from 9 pm to around 6 am (sometimes 4 am). So, they cannot be dependent on electricity supply for irrigation,” said Prof Pravin P Ghunnar of the University of Mumbai’s Social Work Department.

He added, “The district has an agricultural-based livelihood (as per the 2011 Census, 68.97 per cent of the population lives in villages) and is heavily dependent on fuel-run machinery for farming. The fuel price surge is further adding to their mental and economic distress.”

Many farmers in distress being forced to use bullocks for cultivation are taking loans to buy cattle, says Pandit Gangadhar Bhosale. (Express photo)

Even as production cost rises, the selling price of produce has not. “I am still selling one piece of sweet lemon at 20 paise. In the city, it is being sold for Rs 3-4. But there is no mechanism to help farmers to increase their rates. So, our savings from farm produce have decreased 30 to 40 per cent following the rise in fuel prices,” said Deshmukh.

Dhage said in the last harvest season he invested around Rs 60,000, including seeds worth Rs 10,000, to grow soybean. His profit, in the end, was a mere Rs 12,000. “I am the sole breadwinner. So, I had to cultivate wheat, which thankfully made some profit, helping me to survive till the next harvest. Now, as schools have opened, in the absence of state transport buses, we have to pay Rs 1,000 for an auto to send my son to school,” he added.

An agricultural tractor attached with ploughing and rotavator equipment (Express photo)

Farmers’ unions have accused the government of turning a blind eye to the plight of cultivators. “Farmers kill themselves when they fail to come out of economic distress after repeated attempts. If the government cannot control fuel prices, they need to come up with subsidies or waive loans,” said Kisan Brigade’s national working president Avinash Kakade.

The region of Marathwada, where Parbhani is located, has a high rate of farmer suicides. In response to a first appeal filed by The Indian Express under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) of Aurangabad Division revealed last December that 334 farmer suicides cases were recorded in Parbhani between 2018 and October 2021. In Marathwada, 3,270 farmers killed themselves in the same period.

Parbhani Chief Executive Officer Shivanand Taksale said better storage facilities might provide relief to farmers. But district supply officer Manjusha Mutha said the state had no role to play in this matter as it was up to the Central government to facilitate the matter. “The decentralisation of the sourced fuel depots can be an answer to decrease the transportation price,” she added.

But to Deshmukh, such proposed solutions do not mean much. “This has been going on for years. Now, we have given up. No one cares for farmers.”