Covid Care Diary: Farmers as our Primary Benefactors

MSJ, Bangalore: 21st April 2020

One of those people who are affected very badly by this Covid lockdown are farmers. They are always at the receiving end whenever there is a strike or drought or flood or this kind of lockdown. Even though they are the one's who fill our stomach, energise our spirits, now they are a forgotten lot even by the government and the people alike. Without farmers' steadfast effort and perseverance we would not survive. Unfortunately, they are least remembered, and encouraged.

During this Covid lockdown, the produce of farmers like vegetables, milk, etc., are being wasted and farmers are incurring terrible losses. For example, if a farmer has cows, whether he has demand for milk or not yet he has to milk the cow. Otherwise, the cows would not survive. The vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, etc., are perishable items. They can get very quickly rotten if they are not preserved in a scientific way. Indian farmers, unfortunately have neither big barns nor the scientific method of preserving them for a longer period. 

From our part, we have been doing our little bit by contacting those farmers who have so much  farm produce which is getting destroyed. Farmers have not been able to pay for their workers' salaries. As part of Covid Care Kit, we have been buying directly from the farmers these vegetables like onions, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, cabbages, beetroot, etc.  This helps in someway or the other to alleviate their distress and loses.

Unfortunately, we cannot buy all of their produce as we have no enough funds to procure them.
By buying these farm products and adding into the Covid Care Kits, the quantity of the nutrition of the people is increased. In place of just dal and rice the added nutritions help daily migrants and stranded labourers to have adequate vitamins and increase their immune system.    Moreover, these people cannot even buy these produce at their places as the farm products are not transported.

As a whole we should think about our dear farmers who have been going through such a terrible time at this time of the year when they make most of the profit out of their sweat. 

- Reported by Olvin Veigas, SJ
21st April 2020