The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Price rise turns farmers’ lives upside down

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Sunday, May 18, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Price rise turns farmers’ lives upside down

B. Kolappan

CHENNAI: Aadhirangam owns just an acre of land and also cultivates three acres of a temple land. Last year, he could save Rs. 4,000 after meeting all the expenses and also made some money by selling the haystack. But the unseasonal rain this year destroyed the haystack and this farmer from Thiruthuraipoondi in Thiruvaur district has started borrowing money from money lenders.

“My family is living at subsistence level thanks to the cows and goats in my backyard. Whenever I need some extra cash I sell a goat or two,” says Aadhirangam.

Life is also not smooth for P. Rajakumaran, who owns 25 acres of land, a coconut farm and a mango orchard.

“Last year I made a substantial profit. Now my debt has already mounted up to Rs 50,000,” says this rich farmer from Valangaimaan.

Big or small, farmers across the State are going through hard times. Spiralling of prices of essential commodities has turned their life upside down, according to a survey conducted by Tamil Nadu Vivasaiyigal Sangam in a few districts in the State.

“Most of the farmers and agricultural labourers we interviewed agreed that rice supplied through the PDS and 100 days work for the poor are the two schemes that sustain life in rural areas of Tamil Nadu. But we don’t know whether the government has adequate stock to ensure continuous supply of rice as it has considerably reduced the procurement from farmers,” says K. Balakrishanan, general secretary of the Sangam.

As many as 200 people were interviewed in Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Virudhunagar and Krishnagiri.

“We did not approach the farmers and others with a ready-made questionnaire since we know they may not come forward to open their mind.

Office bearers of our Sangam had informal chats with people and collected information,” Mr. Balakrishnan explains.

In the case of Muthammal, an agricultural labourer in Virudhunagar district, even the 20 kg rice she gets from the ration shop is not adequate. She buys another 10 kg from the open market.

“Gone are the days when we cook two times a day. Poriyal and kuzhambu are no longer on our menu. We have to be content with rasam and thuvaiyal,” says she.

Ilayaraja, a shop owner from whom Muthammal buys provisions says “she and others come to me with Rs. 10 and expect me to sell them 10 items of provisions. Where will you get coriander and chillies for one rupee. Still I give them a few things,” he says. One of the important findings of the survey was the change in the food habits of the poor people in rural areas. “Even the poorest among the poor used to have non-vegetarian food at least on Sundays. Now they eat only rice and kuzhambu seven days a week,” explains Balakrishnan.

In Thanjavur district, farmers in many villages have migrated either to Tirupur or Erode in search of employment, he adds.

Probably the only people who have not felt the impact so far are the vegetable farmers in Krishnagiri district, who continue to get a good price for their produce. But the frequent power cuts made a dent in their profit.

“Every day I cough up hundreds of rupees for buying diesel to run the water pump. Increase in input costs is also a major cause of concern,” says Chandrappa of Utchannapalli in Krishnagiri district.

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