Moderate rainfall within the past few days including relaxation in lockdown rules from Monday has led to a rise in agricultural activities across the district.
Farmers have started the method of tilling and mixing the soil for Kharif crops. However, many of them are worried about the shortage of manpower to hold out the activities on the farm.
Dnyaneshwar Wakure, district agricultural officer (Kolhapur), said, "Since lockdown has been imposed on March 24, there has been no interruption in some agricultural activities like procuring vegetable and fruits, irrigating the farm and provide of agriculture produce to the market because it has been included within the list of essential activities. The activities which will be done by the farmer alone weren't stopped by the govt ."
He added, "After the notification was issued by the central government, the farmers are going to be now allowed to require up agricultural activities associated with Kharif season like tilling the land, using tractors and other activities like procuring fertilizers and deploying workers on the fields."
According to the notification issued by the central government, people and agencies procuring Agri products are going to be allowed to work. Shops associated with the agricultural machinery, spare parts, and repairs also will be allowed to work.
"We have already granted permission for distribution of fertilizers to the retailers concerned," Wakure said.
"Farmers who live in cities and towns and need to maneuver to their villages for completing agricultural activities will need to apply with us for a pass. After getting approval of the village-level committees, they're going to be allowed to visit their villages," he added.
The official said that number of such farmers is meager. "Of the overall 9.50 lakh farmers within the district, only 600 farmers have applied for the pass," he said.
Sandeep Arun Belgudri, a farmer from Gadhinglaj taluka, said, "As the govt has relaxed some norms on our movement, we are getting to deploy tractor in our farm for tilling the land as a neighborhood of the preparation for Kharif crops."
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