Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers told to sanitise combines

Jalandhar, April 9The Agriculture Department has released instructions to farmers to take proper precautions during harvesting of crops.In the instructions, farmers have been asked to sanitise combines that would be used for harvesting. They have been advised that since the workers will move from village to village during harvesting, they must be allowed to rest in an outer area. It has also been asked that if any worker is suffering from cough, cold or fever or is not feeling well, he should not be asked to work at any condition.The department has asked farmers to make sure that precautions against Covid-19 are followed properly. “While carrying out the work, proper distance should be maintained in the coming days,” reads the advisory released by Dr Surinder Singh, Chief Agriculture Officer.Notably, farmers are ensuring every help to labourers. Be it providing extra ration to workers, calling them up repeatedly or asking for their well-being and stocking up medicines, they are doing everything they can. They are even visiting chemist shops with labourers to get them medicines and other essentials items.All this is being done to ensure that farm labourers don’t return to their native places, especially when harvesting season is around the corner.“Before the lockdown was announced, at least 10 of my workers came from Bihar. Since then, I have been giving them food. Since they came by train, I asked them to quarantine themselves for 14 days. But I am providing them with every essential item,” a farmer from Moosapur village said.The instructionsIn the instructions, farmers have been asked to sanitise combines that will be used for harvesting. The growers have been advised that since the workers will move from village to village during harvesting, they must be allowed to rest in an outer area.

The Tribune

2020-04-10