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Manmeet Singh Gill
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, June 20
The cost of paddy transplantation this time has surged considerably with migrant workers demanding more wages than that of last year. Farmers say around 30 per cent rise in cost is being witnessed owing to less arrival of migrants besides government’s order to transplant paddy only after June 20.
A farmer, Inderpreet Singh, from Baserke village near Khemkaran said, “I am paying Rs 2,900 per acre this year which is Rs 700 more than that of last year.” Inderpreet is also providing free ration to labourers, including chicken everyday. A group of four expert workers transplant paddy on one acre per day.
In many villages, farmers are also promising free liquor for men and fodder for animals to local workers to woo them. Mohabaat Pal Singh from Gandiwind village said, “Daily liquor for workers during the paddy season has become a norm. Workers prefer a farm which allows them to take fodder for free.”
As the government did not allow farmers to transplant paddy before June 20, the entire transplantation season had got reduced to only three weeks, they say.
Harpreet Singh, another farmer, who pays Rs 2,800 per acre to labourers, said, “We have to complete the work till the first week of July. If it gets delayed, the crop will become more vulnerable to grown pests from the fields having early transplantation.”
He said the efforts of every farmer to finish the work early have pushed the prices up.
Kuljit Singh from Malawali village on the city outskirts said, “Last year, we had paid around Rs 2,800 each to labourers but now they demand Rs 3,500.” Most of the farmers are reluctant to pay such a hefty wage. Besides, local labourers are more inclined towards jobs in the city instead of agriculture work.
The government has been promoting mechanised transplantation to reduce farmers’ dependency on labourers but such tools have not caught the fancy of farmers.
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