May 1, 2020
Helpless betel leaf farmers accounting to more than 1.5 million stare at rotting produce in the state
West Bengal’s betel leaf farmers have found themselves in dire straits in a lockdown state.
The hopeful farmers nourished, plucked and stacked betel leaves expecting to sell them off for a good profit, but more than a month-long lockdown meant that leaves have got destroyed and rotted before they could be sold off in the national market.
A farmer in Howrah district named Mondal (50), had stacked 30 bundles of betel leaves for auction at the wholesale market. Lockdown and restrictions, however, spoilt all his plans and now fears total losses.
“The leaves will have to dispose off or they will start losing flavour. Losses have already started. We were expecting to get around Rs 6,000-Rs 8,000 per basket before the lockdown. Now, nobody wants to buy a bundle for more than Rs 1, 000,” he said.
Sunil Chandra (34), a betel leaf farmer in the same area had 15 bundles of leaves stacked in his house.
“The situation is terrible. I earn around Rs. 2 lakh per annum by selling betel leaves. But it is a loss venture this year. The unplucked leaves can survive for at least two months, but the stacked ones have a shelf life of one week only,” he said.
These two farmers are not alone suffering loss. There are over 1.5 million farmers involved in the betel leaves business in Bengal are facing a similar dilemma.
Betel leaves are expansively grown in Bengal’s Howrah, Purba Medinipur, South 24 Parganas and Uttar Dinajpur districts.
Harvesting and sales goes this way: The leaves are plucked and stacked by farmers; they are passed on to middlemen who bring the stacks to wholesale markets for auctioning. The highest bidders get the deal.
There are more than 30 varieties of paan are found in Bengal namely Bangla, Mitha, Kali Bangla, Sanchi, and Simurali Bangla. Betel leaves are cultivated for domestic consumption and also exported to countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, some parts of Gulf and United Kingdom.
From farmers to traders, all are at the receiving end of the lockdown as its past peak time which remains till April.
Exemption from Govt: Not fruitful
The West Bengal government on April 7 exempted betel leaf farmers from lockdown. Traders, however, termed the action as an eyewash.
“The exemption is hardly of any use as all markets and transport network are closed. Where does the farmer sell the produce and who is going to buy it? Police are baton-charging those venturing outside their houses,” said Amiya Shaw, joint secretary, Howrah Paan market.
Rajkumar Bhagat, a paan trader in Howrah, estimated daily losses at Rs. 2 crore in Bengal.
“Traders from various parts of the country come to buy the leaves and clear old payments on the occasion of Bengali New Year in mid-April. The lockdown has dealt a severe blow to the industry,” Bhagat said.
Adding to Lockdown, rains wreaked mayhem
As if the misdeed of corona was less, heavy rains and hailstorms in the last few days have added to the miseries of farmers.
The current situation is encouraging a distress sales. Betel leaves farmers are selling a bundle for as less as Rs. 1,000. Meanwhile, farmers have requested the state government to fix a Minimum Support Price for their produce.
“We seek immediate government support to fix a minimum price, as our realization is far below our costs. The crisis has hit one lakh families associated with the trade,” said Kartik Das, secretary, All Bengal Betel Leaf Farmers Samiti.
Though some farmers fear the worst is yet to dawn.
According to Priyanath Haldar, a retired educationist from Sidho Kanho Birsa University, with prevailing situation, farmers may face severe cash crunch and losses may prevent them from taking up plantation for the next year.