Madhya Pradesh Umraoganj village, Raisen Siddharth Singh Jat, 25.
The wheat crop Singh had sown in about 40 acres of land in Umraoganj, some 35 km from state capital Bhopal, has been harvested for some time now. His biggest problem, he says, is trying to sell the crop.
“The mandis are unlikely to open because of the coronavirus pandemic. All sales will probably happen at government buying centres which will lead to a lot of rush there,” he says.
The procurement had already been running two weeks late because of labour scarcity in the region.
“The wheat crop looks promising but other issues like shortage of labour may further delay procurement. The rural economy depends on income from the harvest as loans have to be paid off and social engagements like marriages are on the cards,” he says.
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