Kishore Radhakrishan Dhage recalled how one day recently, as he was leaving home, his wife called him and urged him to cycle to their small soybean field 1.5 km away. “I can no longer afford to buy petrol. It costs more than what we spend on food in three days,” she recalls.
Like Dhage, other farmers in Parbhani district, Maharashtra, about 500 km from Mumbai, have no choice but to risk their health and walk for miles. Parbhani, which is in the drought-prone Marathwada region, is one of the poorest districts in the state with a net income per capita of Rs 1,20,065 compared to Rs 2,02,130 for the state. It even ranks among the districts with the lowest credits and bank deposits. To make matters worse, residents of Parbhani are also facing the brunt of recent fuel price hikes. On April 7, the price of petrol and diesel stood at Rs 123.51 and Rs 106.08 per liter respectively, the highest in India. Petrol price on Thursday was Rs 123.53 per litre, the highest after Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh (Rs 123.63 per litre), while diesel price was Rs 106.10 per litre, behind Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha. In comparison, the price of petrol was Rs 120.51 per liter in Mumbai and diesel cost Rs 104.77 per litre.
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“Due to the ongoing public transport bus strike, we had no choice but to take two-wheelers to the market. But now, due to rising prices, we walk 5 to 8 km on foot and then take a lift on bullock carts,” Dhage said.
Fuel prices are so high in the neighborhood due to its location. A Parbhani tanker travels nearly 730 km round trip to the nearest fuel depot at Panewadi near Manmad in Nashik district.
District Collector Aanchal Goyal said The Indian Express“The supply point of Parbhani is at Manmad. The price of fuel for the citizens is decided considering the cost of transportation. Due to the geographical location of the district, the cost of transportation is higher here.
Kishore Radhakrishan Dhage said that in the last harvest season he invested about Rs 60,000 including seeds worth Rs 10,000 to grow soybeans. His profit, at the end, was only 12,000 rupees. (Express photo)
High fuel prices have also had a knock-on effect on fertilizer and seed costs, and labor hiring rates have increased. Taking advantage of the unprecedented situation, local dealers have also increased the rental price of agricultural equipment. Farmers said their production has now increased by 30-40%.
The rental cost of nagarti – plowing equipment attached to the back of tractors – has been reduced from Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 per acre. Similarly, the rental rate for a rotavator – used to mix, spray, puddle and level fields – has been reduced from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500.
“The price of a pair of oxen is between Rs 80,000 and Rs 1.15 lakh. Small farmers who own two to three acres of land cannot afford to buy and maintain livestock for agriculture. Thus, 90% of the farmers depend on rented tractors and face huge financial losses due to such exploitation,” said fruit farmer Kantarao Deshmukh from Zari village.
Even though production costs are rising, the selling price of produce has not increased, says fruit grower Kantarao Deshmukh. (Express photo)
Many distressed farmers forced to use oxen for cultivation take out loans to buy cattle. Pandit Gangadhar Bhosale, a resident of Banegaon village, who grows jowar (sorghum), said: “It takes three hours to plow land with a tractor. But the oxen take more than two days to do the same. Some days I feel dizzy from the heat, but nobody cares about the impact of fuel prices on farmers. »
Growers now also depend on diesel engines due to frequent power outages. “Even a strong breeze disrupts the electricity supply to the villages. Most of the time, the villages have electricity at night from 9 p.m. to around 6 a.m. (sometimes 4 a.m.). Thus, they cannot depend on electricity supply for irrigation,” said Professor Pravin P Ghunnar from the University of Mumbai’s Department of Social Work.
He added, “The district has an agriculture-based livelihood (according to the 2011 census, 68.97% of the population lives in villages) and is highly dependent on fuel-powered machinery for agriculture. Soaring fuel prices further add to their mental and economic distress.
Many distressed farmers forced to use oxen for cultivation take out loans to buy cattle, says Pandit Gangadhar Bhosale. (Express photo)
Even though production costs are increasing, the selling price of products has not increased. “I always sell a piece of sweet lemon for 20 paise. In town, it sells for Rs 3-4. But there is no mechanism to help farmers raise their prices. Thus, our savings on agricultural products have decreased by 30-40% following the increase in fuel prices,” Deshmukh said.
Dhage said that in the last harvest season he invested about Rs 60,000 including seeds worth Rs 10,000 to grow soybeans. His profit, at the end, was only 12,000 rupees. “I am the sole breadwinner. So I had to grow wheat, which luckily paid off, helping me survive until the next harvest. Now that the schools have opened, with no public transport buses, we have to pay Rs 1,000 for a car to send my son to school,” he added.
A hitched farm tractor with plowing and rotavator equipment (express photo)
Farmers’ unions have accused the government of turning a blind eye to the plight of farmers. “Farmers kill themselves when they fail to get out of economic distress after repeated attempts. If the government cannot control fuel prices, it should offer subsidies or give up loans,” said Avinash Kakade, acting national chairman of the Kisan Brigade.
The Marathwada region, where Parbhani is located, has a high rate of farmer suicides. In response to an initial 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 cases of suicides farmers had been recorded in Parbhani between 2018 and October 2021. In Marathwada, 3,270 farmers committed suicide during the same period.
Parbhani managing director Shivanand Taksale said better storage facilities could provide relief to farmers. But the district procurement officer, Manjusha Mutha, said the state had no role to play in the matter as it was up to the central government to facilitate the matter. “The decentralization of sourced fuel depots can be an answer to reduce the price of transport,” she added.
But for Deshmukh, these proposed solutions mean little. “It’s been going on for years. Now we’ve given up. Nobody cares about the farmers.
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