Despite good rains, farmers grapple with labour shortage

Amaravati: Farmers in Andhra Pradesh are a worried lot nowadays. Those who welcomed the timely onset of the monsoon are now facing problems in tilling the land as they face a shortage of labourers.

Last year too, the farmers faced the problem due to the pandemic. This year the situation has not improved and continued restrictions and other preventive measures have not been good for farm activity.

Every year, AP sees a steady flux of farm labour into it from the neighbouring states. But, those who had left for their native villages last year are not back in full numbers yet. The problem is common to several employment avenues like the hotel industry, manufacturing unit, factories aquaculture companies and other similar organisations.

Although labour scarcity affects the agriculture sector, the impact is more pronounced in case of certain crops which require a significant amount of labour hours per unit area cultivated and are also widely grown in the country.

Andhra Pradesh along with Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh has the highest area under cultivation of major crops like paddy, cotton, chillies, sugarcane and groundnut (with a higher share of paddy).

Thousands of labourers from the neighbouring states come to Andhra Pradesh for a work opportunity and help farmers in the farming activities during the season and return to their native places after the end of the season. But this time, the labourers have left for their home in April last due to the fear of the coronavirus pandemic and have not returned yet. Reports of the impending third wave also have their impact on their movement now, it is said.

Reports from across the districts suggest that the mood is downbeat among farmers due to the acute shortage of labourers. Hundreds of middlemen used to earn their livelihood by providing labourers to sugarcane and other farmers.

Rami Reddy, 45, a progressive farmer from Tadepalli in the erstwhile capital region of Amaravati, is frustrated now. He owns 10 acre fertile land and has been reaping both paddy as well commercial crops all along. Yet, it has become difficult for him now to find sufficient labour despite doubled wages.

"There is no end to their demands even if they are available. Earlier, the labour used to come for Rs 200 per day or so. Now even double the amount won't guarantee us the workforce," he said.

"In addition, several factors also are keeping the labour away from the farm work. Migration to cities is fetching them more. Several are switching their work too as workers in construction sites due to higher wages and other facilities like accommodation, etc.," adds another farmer, Karothu Nani of Pamarru.

Janakaiah, 34, who migrated to Vijayawada from Visakhapatnam with family, says, "I could secure the job of a watchman in an apartment in Patamata a couple of months ago. I have two children. Here I can get them a good education." He is one of the few lucky ones who had a brother-in-law in the city to help him shift.