While agriculture is a primary activity in India, it includes growing crops, fruits, vegetables, flowers and rearing of livestock and two-thirds of India’s population is still depending on agriculture,it is the farmers and the agriculture sector suffering the worst hit today .
The vegetables and fruits rotting and getting wasted in the agriculture fields of Assam during a 30 day nationwide lock down period clearly depicts the failure of Agriculture Department of Assam. The Agriculture Department of Assam did not have the required infrastructure even to sustain a 30 day lockdown period. It is not the pandemic or the lockdown but the in-activity of the department to be held responsible for the farmer’s sorry state today.
Assam is still heavily dependent on the agricultural sector. More than 50% population is engaged in agriculture in Assam, with not much alternative to provide employment and despite the factors, Department of Agriculture in Assam choses to still remain in slumber, with no way ahead for the farmers. With little or no initiatives to improve the agriculture system in the state.
Farmers and agriculture reforms has always topped the list in every successive Govt’s. political campaign agenda , but the fact remains the farmers remain to be the poorest and the worst effected during every natural calamity whether it be flood or drought or pandemic and even 30 day lockdown.
(Areas of land under cultivation in Assam) Out of the 20 cold storages in Assam only 3 numbers of cold storages are active and functioning under the Govt. of Assam. The rest of the cold storages are locked down or have been non- functional for many years now.
The Agricultural Department of Assam has been functional to preserve the records or rather have been instrumental only in documentation of data’s .The inability of the Agriculture department to be functional in preserving the production of perishable goods such as fruit and vegetables, have resulted in ruining the life of farmers in particular and people in general. If the cold storages were functional the agriculture produces could have been saved and preserved in the cold storage during the lock down period.
Cold rooms are very important because they help to prolong the shelf life of fresh goods. They are also effective in reducing the amount of waste and in lengthening the timeframe for marketing these foods.
Due to the increasing demand in food supply, the production of perishable goods such as fruit and vegetables continues to rise. In order to preserve these types of goods, they need to be placed in cold storage facilities to make sure that they do not spoil.
It is time for the Agriculture Department of Assam to look into proper management and implementation of programmes and policies to help the farmers and the agriculture sustain. It is time the cold storages are made functional and not wait for another pandemic to make the Department realise the necessity of a Cold storage and an emergency plan.
Position cold storage in Assam:
This is due to lack of employment as the successive government in the country has failed to provide so.
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