Hiring charges of agri implements jump on rising fuel prices, lack of migrant labour

The increase in gas selling prices — petrol and diesel — have come at a pretty difficult time for farmers in Maharashtra. Migrant labour is in short offer owing to the pandemic and hiring fees of agriculture implements, primarily for compact and medium farmers, has improved by at minimum 30 to 40 for each cent.

Tomato farmer Suresh Navale from Akole taluka in Ahmednagar district advised BusinessLine that prior to the value increase, tractors were being obtainable at ₹500 for each hour, which nowadays has improved by ₹650 to ₹700 for each hour. Owing to better demand from customers for mechanical implements, motorists and entrepreneurs of these implements are overcharging.

Navale pointed out that final 7 days in his individual farm he had to use a JCB (earth shifting products) for particular fieldwork. But hiring fees have improved from ₹1,000 for each hour to ₹1,400 for each hour. “How can a compact farmer survive with such bills?” he asked.

Dairy business enterprise, which is presently in major losses owing to absence of demand from customers from places to eat and confectioneries on account of the lockdown, is facing more blues. Dairy farmer Shankar Dandge of Nandura taluk in Buldhana district explained that owing to the pandemic, dairies are not obtaining milk at over and above ₹24 for each litre, which was ₹34 for each litre prior to the Covid-19 outbreak. And now with better gas selling prices, milk is staying marketed at considerably less than breakeven selling prices. Losses are mounting.

Bengaluru-centered agriculture pro Jagadeesh Sunkad explained that the increase in gas selling prices will hit the sugar mills in Maharashtra pretty difficult. Out of final year’s ₹2,750 for each tonnefair and remunerative value (FRP), practically 22 for each cent was harvest and transportation costs. Over and over the FRP, sugar mills gave the farmers a reward as well.

But with better petrol and diesel selling prices, sugar mills could not be ready to give the reward to farmers in Maharashtra this year. In a way, the better harvest and transportation costs will be a go-by way of, which would in the long run have to be borne by the farmers, he explained.

In western Maharashtra where sugarcane is typically grown, employees are not obtainable. They have to be transported in big teams from underdeveloped districts such as Beed, which is about 400 km absent, which provides to the functioning costs of the sugar mills, Sunkad added.