In suicide country’s Ground Zero, ghost mills, buried reforms

This mill stands as one symbol of the near-absence of a range of agriculture reforms: from crumbling infrastructure—only 4% of Vidarbha is irrigated—to non-implementation of the Agriculture Produce Marketing Act, meant to provide cotton farmers ready access to private buyers.

“We feel embarrassed when farmers ask us about the mill,” admitted kishore Darda, brother of the MP and one of the mill’s directors. “Sure, if the mill had been there, the cotton farmers would have got a better return for their produce.’’ So why is the mill not ready?

Fifteen years have gone by and the state government is yet to release its share of the cost. The original cost was Rs 28.16 crore for 25,000 spindles to be drawn from three sources: 1 per cent from the Federation’s share capital (farmers’ money), nine times of this from the state government, the rest from financial institutions.

“The money from the state government did not come until 2003. Today, the cost of the project has nearly doubled, Rs 65 lakh is yet to be released. But we will begin with whatever number of spindles can be installed in this money. Now, we are waiting for the spindles to arrive,’’ said Darda.

This ghost mill isn’t the only thing the Yavatmal’s Cotton Federation put its money into. Nearly Rs 4 crore have gone into three such mills, out of which only none is running. Incidentally, all these mills belong to legislators.

So even as this money drains out, there is little for something as basic as irrigation. Only 4% of Vidarbha is irrigated in striking contrast to some Western Maharshtra districts where the figure is nearly 90%.

“In Vidarbha, there is still at least 48% of irrigation potential left to be exploited,’’ said Harshal Kamble, District Commissioner. Yavatmal. ‘‘Vidarbha is supposed to have assured irrigation. Western Maharashtra is in the rain-shadow, hence all irrigation projects were taken there,’’ he said.

In other words, Vidarbha cotton farmers are left to Nature. Suicides have coincided with its vagaries: in 2003, 108 farmers died when the state was declared drought-hit, the last crop failed due to untimely rains.

Some of the world’s finest cotton grows here but marketing is still done the way it was 50 years ago.

Although the government amended the Agriculture Produce Marketing Act (APMC) Act last year, on the ground little has changed. The amendment empowers farmers to sell their cotton without going through the government’s marketing infrastructure. In Yavatmal, however, farmers still have to pay Rs 10 per quintal as APMC tax for parking loaded bullock carts in the marketing yard.

For this tax, the APMC society was to put in place facilities like a resting place for farmers, sheds for their cattle and drinking water. Instead, there is one straw-covered shed with not even the basic amenities.

There is no investment in godowns — the farmers are forced to sell immediately whatever be the price after plucking cotton as there is no storage option. Even if farmers want to move from cotton to an alternate crop, there is no processing facility, no transporation for their perishables to a larger market.

This year, all along the Nagpur-Yavatmal road, brinjals can be seen rotting on the side of the road or fields— farmers don’t even find it economical to harvest and try transporting to the nearest market.

30-year-old Sudama Bhoyar in Isapur village in Wardha had loaded his bicycle with tomatoes and brinjal. He went to the local mandi at Deoli, 7 km away, and got a pittance for his produce— Rs 20 for a sack of tomatoes, Rs 40 for 10 kg of brinjal. In Wardha town, just 20 km from his village, brinjals would have got him 10 times the price. He returned to his field, drank the pesticide that had been sprayed in his vegetable patch a few days ago.

“You think I will ever grow vegetables?” says his angry, grieving father Tukaram. “We don’t even get the input cost. I will only grown cotton from next year.’’ Which is a tragedy given that diversifying from cotton is what experts say is one way to widen the safety net of farmers here.

Even if Tukaram wants to diversify, there is no one to guide him. The state agriculture department has 550 extension officers for 3.5 lakh farmers in Yavatmal.

But few farmers can recall when they last met one of these officers. “Even simple things like explaining that furrows need to be made after excess rain would have helped them to save some of their cotton crop,’’ said B M Okre, District Superintending Agricultural Officer. So why wasn’t this done? He declines to answer.

(Tomorrow: Insurance cover, leaving cotton farmers exposed)