The Union Home Ministry has exempted agriculture-farming and allied activities from the ongoing nationwide lockdown to ensure uninterrupted harvesting of crops. In a relief to farmers during the 21-day lockdown, the government has brought agriculture and allied activities under the exempted category in order to maintain the availability of grains in the market.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s welfare said that the step taken will allow unhindered harvesting of crops. The categories which are exempted from the lockdown includes the agencies engaged in the procurement of agricultural products, including MSP (minimum support price) and ‘mandis’ operated by Agriculture Produce Market Committee, farming operations by farmers and farmworkers in the field and Custom Hiring Centers(CHC), farm machinery, manufacturing and packaging units of fertilizers, pesticides and seeds, and intra and inter-state movement of harvesting and sowing related machines.
Agriculture and Farmer’s welfare minister Narendra Singh Tomar has been constantly monitoring issues related to the farmers since the lockdown was enforced Tuesday midnight.
As per reports, the government has issued necessary directions to the concerned ministries and departments and designated officials of the state and Union territories implementation of the decision.
It is said that the decision will facilitate unhindered activities related to agriculture and farming to ensure that the common man continues to get essential supplies and farmers don’t face various difficulties during the lockdown.
The Union ministry earlier announced that people below the poverty line across the country will be given wheat at Rs2 per kg and rice at Rs 3 per kg at concessional rates for the next three months. The Modi led government had approved the world’s largest food security scheme that proposed every person will get 27 kg ration per month for the next three months, in which the wheat will be priced at Rs 2 per kg, instead of Rs 27 per kg and rice at Rs 3 per kg instead of Rs 37 per kg.