Rains in Lahaul-Spiti wash away roads, farmers unable to take their crops to market

After recording a month's worth of rain in a single day in July, farmers were left stranded with their harvested crops as roads remained out of commission for weeks Mandi, Himachal Pradesh: The crops were ready and plans were made. Like every year, farmers from the remote Himalayan region of Lahaul-Spiti in Himachal Pradesh were preparing to sell their crops at the local mandis, from where they would be transported to Delhi, Chandigarh and other parts of north India.According to the President of the Fruit Vegetable and Flower Producers Association, Harish Chauhan, Lahaul’s peas are quite in demand in cities like Chandigarh and New Delhi. “They are of notable importance as they enter the market precisely when the supply from the other regions dwindles… they are known for their sweet flavour and extended shelf life comparatively…”But the relentless downpour in the state in July washed away their plans, quite literally. The rains damaged key roads, making it difficult to transport the harvested crops, compelling farmers to discard the ripened produce. According to India Meteorological Department, Lahaul Spiti received 112.2 mm of rainfall on the night of July 9, which is close to the average rainfall the region receives during the whole month. Before this, Lahaul Spiti recorded 73mm of rain in a single day back in 1951.The economy of Lahual-Spiti is primarily reliant on farming despite the challenging agricultural conditions. The farmers in the district only manage to cultivate one crop per season since the region is covered in snow for almost six months. Many families survive on the earnings of this one crop and focus on cash crops like potatoes, peas, cabbage, and exotic vegetables like lettuce, red cabbage, zucchini and broccoli.Farmers working in the fields midday (Photo - Raman Kant, 101Reporters)In certain regions, farmers engage in a dual-cropping practice within a single season. They initiate cultivation of the first crop, including lettuce, cauliflower, parsley, cabbage, and peas, during early March, with harvesting taking place in July. Subsequently, they proceed to cultivate similar crops once more, achieving a subsequent harvest towards early October.In Lahaul Spiti, farmers commence cultivation in March, and harvest kicks off in the initial week of July. Typically, farmers are spared the need to visit the mandi (market) for selling their yields. Instead, intermediaries known as adhtiyas, equipped with their vehicles, gather and load vegetables from designated collection points near the fields. Subsequently, they sell the produce in markets within Himachal Pradesh and beyond, continuing this practice from July through October. However, this year, adverse weather conditions and road closures have hindered adhtiyas from reaching Lahaul, disrupting this established process, says retired agriculture department official Rajender Thakur.Param Singh, a farmer from Pattan Valley says, “With the roads closed, peas, which do not have a long shelf life, rotted as we waited. The excess moisture in the air sped up the process. I have lost Rs 1-1.5 lakh approximately.” Sudarshan Jaspa, the president of the Lahaul Spiti Potato Society, highlights the dire state of roads in the district as a result of the recent natural calamity. Particularly, villages such as Rashil, Jahalma, Nalda, Jobrang, and Madgran have experienced a heightened impact, he says. “The connectivity of numerous villages has been entirely severed from the primary road network. In instances where farmers manage to transport their crops to the main road, the middlemen have significantly reduced the prices offered for their produce,” he adds. Sudarshan says, “I have conducted a price comparison for peas in Delhi, where the cost per kilogram has surged to Rs. 130. In contrast, despite possessing superior quality peas, local farmers are receiving a mere Rs. 30 per kilogram. This has further exacerbated the challenges faced by the farmers during this time of adversity.”Sacks of produce on the field (Photo - Raman Kant, 101Reporters)Take Motilal of Madgran village for example. His family of four is solely dependent on agriculture for livelihood. “I can only take the crop to market once in a year and I am unable to do so this year. Large vehicles are no longer plying, only smaller vehicles are able to make it. Usually, I would have earned around 2-3 lakh from peas but this year I feel my earnings will drop at least two-thirds. I am worried about my family…” he says. The farmers have conveyed their apprehensions regarding the damages to the local authorities; however, the likelihood of them receiving compensation appears slim, given the current state of disaster and the challenging economic circumstances faced by the state. Furthermore, the Fasal Bima Yojana does not encompass provisions for compensation in such scenarios. Its scope is limited to instances of crop loss or failure occurring solely within the farmer's own field, says Sham Aazd, a farmer Farmers have had to assume the responsibility of unblocking roads, with Inderjit Singh Bhanu of Rashil village saying that the community collaborated to clear pathways. “Nevertheless, the closure of the primary Kullu-Manali route has presented obstacles to vegetable sales. Formerly, farmers would market their harvest in Kullu-Manali's markets, yet this season, the closure of local markets spanning the distance from Kullu to Mandi district has forced farmers to confront the challenge of marketing their crops,” he told 101Reporters in early August.  As per the State Disaster Management report released earlier this month, the Public Works Department has incurred a substantial loss of approximately Rs 1900 crore, while the Agriculture Department has faced losses totalling Rs 158 crore. Currently, over 293 roads remain impassable throughout the state. BC Negi, the Executive Engineer of the Public Works Department, said a majority of roads had been successfully reopened by the first week of August. “The department has incurred losses amounting to approximately Rs 20 crore due to the combined impact of heavy rainfall and landslides. A bridge situated in the Sissu area of the district has been left inoperable, necessitating ongoing preparations for the installation of a suspension bridge as a viable substitute...,” he adds.Edited by Tanya ShrivastavaCover photo - Farmers harvesting peas in Rashil district of Lahaul Spiti (Photo - Raman Kant, 101Reporters)

Himachal apple growers to gherao state secretariat over GST hike in packaging material

Increasing input costs, labour costs and decreasing profit margins worry small-scale apple farmers in Himachal Pradesh, who say they don't get adequate support from the government. Shimla: “Production costs are increasing every year. When you sell your produce, the prices in the market are not satisfactory. Quitting apple farming and looking for other livelihood options seems like the only way to survive,” says Babu Ram Semta, who has been involved in apple farming on his four bigha land in Shimla district for many years now. (Bigha is a traditional unit of measurement of land. It varies from state to state. In Himachal Pradesh 1 bigha is approximately 8,700 square feet)The apple growers community in Himachal Pradesh was already struggling due to high input costs. The revision in GST rates of packaging material and cartons announced on July 18 from 12 to 18% came as a blow to apple farmers in the state who have been having to deal with fertiliser shortage, tax hikes, and lack of transportation and storage facilities.Following this, Horticulture Produce Marketing & Processing Corporation (HPMC), which sets rates on the packaging material in the state, increased the rates on packaging material from 10.16% to 15.35%. The price of a 20kg carton has now gone up from Rs 68.87 to Rs 75.65.Apple farmers, who had taken out a march in July to protest the increasing production costs, announced to gherao the Himachal Pradesh secretariat on August 5.The table showcases the percentage increase in prices of different variety of cartonsIn addition to cartons, prices of the trays used in packaging to prevent damage during transit have gone up from Rs 5 to Rs 8 per piece in the wholesale market. The retail prices are even higher. Speaking about the increase in packaging costs for farmers, Young and United Grower Organisation's general secretary Prashant Saheta said, “HPMC makes available 2 to 2.5 lakh cartons to farmers at less than the retail market price—but only 20% of the packaging material needs of the state are fulfilled by this. Most farmers have to buy packaging material in retail, the prices of which are not regulated by the government. The 20kg cartons are more in demand and cost around Rs 72-90 in the retail market.”He added, “The per carton packaging process costs Rs 10-15. Add to this, the cost of a 100-piece tray bundle priced at Rs 10 per piece in the open market will make for around Rs 1000; you can see the steep increase in packaging cost for farmers.”"In the last four years, the prices of cartons have gone up two-fold," says Saheta. In addition, the increase in living expenses has also hit the farmers adversely, says Kripal Dholta, a farmer from Chopal town about 90km from Shimla. “Prices of food and other necessities are shooting up. The daily wage rate for labour for gathering the apples has gone up from Rs 350 in 2020 to Rs 550 now." When combined with labour for packaging, the daily rate is around Rs 750, a steep cost for small farmers who make up around 87% of apple growers.(Above) The youth is packing apples in Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh. (Below) Packed crates of apples (Photo: Raman Kant) What is also often not taken into account is the cost of transporting the produce from smaller and remote centres—often not connected by proper roads—to the market. Sanyunkt Kisan Manch co-convener Sanjay Chauhan said it is not fair to tax agriculture and horticulture products. “The agriculture and horticulture sector is already in troubled waters. In this situation, a tax would only make matters worse. Even the fertiliser rates have gone up unprecedentedly in the state. Potash and nitrogen are needed in large quantities for apple production. In 2021, a 50kg pack of potash would be available for Rs 850. In the last six months, the prices have gone up to Rs 1750. The price of nitrogen fertiliser has also gone up to Rs 1150. It is not difficult to see by how much the production cost of apple has gone up,” he added, stating that the Sanyukt Kisan Manch has submitted a 20-point memorandum to the state government. Former Director Research UHF, Nauni Agriculture and horticulture expert SP Bharadwaj said, “The decision to increase GST on packaging material which directly affects the apple gardens is not a step in the right direction.”“Himachal Pradesh sees apple business of over Rs 4000 crore – of which the state receives a good chunk of profit. The anger of apple farmers towards the state would not be good for the government,” he added.Farmers protesting against the increase of production costs of apple, on the road (Photo: Sanyunkt Kisan Manch) Ashish Gupta, the former Academy Manager of The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) said, “India does not have a proper supply chain system in place, which aggravates the problem. Apple growers do not get adequate prices in comparison to their production costs. To ensure that farmers get the benefit, we must adopt a true cost account – and see that the prices do not go below the farmer’s production cost and transportation cost to market. It should be made clear that the minimum support price of the produce should be above these costs.”“The state can also adopt Madhya Pradesh’s Bhavantar Bhugtan Scheme in which the state government pays farmers the difference between official Minimum Support Price and the rate at which they sell their crops,” he added. “To encourage apple farming, the state government has to be flexible in its policies. The Centre should increase import duty on apples so that local produce is given precedence in the market, This step will further the government’s ‘vocal for local’ aim. The government should regulate the apple market so that apple farmers’ benefits are not overlooked, “ Rohit Kumar Vashishat, PhD Agriculture Economics scholar.Edited by Tanya Shrivatsava

Beyond the beauty: Farmers of Spiti Valley endure the effects of climate change

Melting glaciers and the resultant water shortage has forced several farmers to give up agriculture and move to alternative sources of livelihood.Spiti, Himachal Pradesh: Beyond the picturesque landscapes, fascinating valleys, adventure sports and peace and quiet that comes with Spiti is the alarming aspect of climate change that's altering the cold desert tourist destination. The farmers of Chicchim, Kibbar, Kaumik and Langja, situated at 4,000m above sea level, are facing the worst effects of this crisis that's been adversely influencing the availability of irrigation water in the region.This remote region has only one crop season, with peas and potatoes being the most cultivated. Besides seasonal vegetables, farmers also grow several exotic vegetables, black peas, and black cumin here, all of which are sent across to hotels in Delhi and Chandigarh. However, they now face a worrisome drop in agricultural output due to the dual effects of climate change and water shortage. This has seen many farmers move away from agriculture into other occupations.The adverse toll on farmingTake Sher Singh of Langja village, for instance. Once a farmer who grew peas, potatoes and barley, Singh moved away from agriculture owing to a regular shortage of water to irrigate his farms. The meagre income made it difficult for him to support his family. He now drives a tourist taxi.Those who continue to farm are faced with a myriad problems. Farmer Kaljang Lade of Chiccham village complained of water availability for irrigation decreasing by the year. Traditional water resources, too, are drying up due to rising temperatures, he told 101Reporters. “We hardly receive more than 60mm of rain per year. Hence, farming is getting to be extremely difficult now,” he added.As per weather reports, Himachal Pradesh received a large deficient (-89%) rainfall than its normal quantum of rain in April this year. Since the amount of rain was the lowest received in 19 years, this itself has had an impact on farming. Farmer Angdui from Lara village in Demul panchayat has been growing cauliflower, peas and apples. He said the continuous rise in temperatures and melting glaciers had made matters extremely difficult for farmers like him. People here generally grow vegetables, which need ample irrigation. Shortage of water often destroys standing crops, he revealed.Farmers like Lobsand Dorje (left) and Angdui (right) are facing crop loss and reverting to subsistence farming in the face of regular water shortage (Photos: Raman Kant)“Going by the present trend, I fear that the problem will only intensify in future,” he told 101Reporters.Lobsang Dorje, a local resident of Pin Valley, revealed that the water shortage starts manifesting itself around mid-April every year; snowfall has also dropped in the past seven to eight years. With water resources gradually drying up, there might not be any drinking water available in the next few years, he fears. Agriculture has, understandably, become difficult now.Earlier, Dorje used to cultivate peas, potatoes and barley for the market. But now, he can only manage to grow enough for his family on his marginal landholding. In the absence of an alternative source of livelihood, survival is tough for farming families here now.Melting glaciers and dried up resourcesIn Spiti, communities follow very strict customary rules regarding water. There are different sources of water used for drinking and irrigation. However, climate change has caused them all to dry up. Consequently, quarrels have often erupted between different villages on water-related issues.Explaining the water crisis, Langja Panchayat Pradhan Chhering Palden told 101Reporters, “We live in one of the remotest parts of the world. This place remains covered by snow for six months of the year, with temperatures hovering around -30°C. During winter, we remain cut off from the rest of the world. We can only grow a single crop here, for which we work very hard, and it sustains us for the whole year. Since there's hardly any rain here, we are dependent on glacial snows. June-July are the months when we need water to irrigate our crops. But since the glacial snows are melting early due to a rise in temperatures, we are deprived of water during the crop growing season.”Elaborating on this issue, Ishita Khanna, who heads Ecosphere, an NGO working in this region, said, “It's snowing very little and late. Hence, the snow does not settle down on the land. As a result, the snow starts melting early, creating a shortage of water.”Spiti Valley has a population of 12,000 people, with 3,252 farming families, all of whom are marginal farmers with small landholdings. Agriculture is the only means of livelihood for most.Hence, an untoward effect on agriculture can have a deleterious effect on lives here. With global warming having compelled many farmers to stop cultivating their usual crops, many lands lie fallow. Several men have migrated to adjoining towns like Kaza or cities like Chandigarh in search of work, unable to sustain their families on agriculture alone.The way forwardTo overcome the problem of water shortage, local residents have formed the Spiti Civil Society to conserve water resources. According to Sonam Tange, who heads the organisation, efforts are afoot to save existing water resources. Canals have been repaired to facilitate irrigation; many farmers are now irrigating their land using water from canals that are 15-25 km away.There have been official initiatives, as well. Jal Shakti Department Assistant Engineer BC Roy said the government was trying to rejuvenate natural water resources, with the active participation of local residents. Wherever possible, canals were being built. On sandy stretches, tanks were being constructed to conserve water for farming.According to Agricultural Development Officer Dr Chandrashekhar, “Summer arrived a fortnight earlier in Spiti this year, and the heat only rose by the day. In some parts, even drinking water became a problem. I've already apprised top officials about the issue. The departments of agriculture and jalshakti vibhag are looking into this and will formulate a plan to alleviate the problems faced by farmers soon.”Ecosphere has also taken some initiatives in this regard, Khanna revealed.An aerial view of the farmland around Kaza, the subdivisional headquarters of Spiti Valley (Photo: Raman Kant)“We conducted a survey and found that the situation was particularly bad in the villages of Demul and Chiccham. We hydrologically mapped these villages and built a check dam and artificial glacier in Demul. This can also recharge the groundwater. We intend to map other villages, too, and build these structures wherever feasible. We're also encouraging local residents to rejuvenate their traditional resources, as of now.”Edited by Rina Mukherji

The unlikely victims of the war in Ukraine — apple and wheat crops of Himachal Pradesh

Lack of timely fertiliser supply — a direct consequence of the war — and increasingly harsh weather conditions have pushed India's ‘fruit bowl’ into a crisis, with farmers and crop yields suffering huge losses.  Theog, Himachal Pradesh: “We’ve been hit by a double whammy this time. The harsh weather and lack of fertilisers have broken the backs of us farmers and gardeners,” said Tulsi Ram Sharma, an apple farmer from Theog, Himachal Pradesh.“During the apple flowering season and when wheat crops and vegetables needed manure, there was no fertiliser available in the market. As a result, we suffered huge losses, which deepened our livelihood crisis. Our losses rose to 40% due to lack of rains and non-availability of manure. This is the first time we’ve had to face two problems at the same time,” added Sharma, who has spent the past five decades cultivating apples on 8 bighas of land in the vegetable- and apple-dominated region. Grapes and geopolitics This crisis is directly related to India’s deteriorating relationship with China and is exacerbated by the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. This is because of disrupted supply from war-torn Ukraine, the world’s largest exporter of urea fertilisers, said renowned agriculture expert Devinder Singh. He added that India's dependence on raw materials for fertilizer is mostly on China and Ukraine. Speaking to 101Reporters, Ganesh Dutt, Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Marketing and Consumer’s Federation (HIMFED) confirmed that the non-availability of raw materials from abroad had deepened the fertiliser crisis in Himachal Pradesh and "HIMFED has taken necessary steps to ensure availability". In addition, Biofertilizers developed by the Agri-Horti universities in the state were also distributed to farmers and orchardists.    In Himachal, 69% of the population is associated with agriculture and horticulture, which means around 9.61 lakh farmers and 2.5 lakh gardeners are directly affected by this shortage. Apple plants need nitrogen before they flower, a requirement that's met by manure, whereas urea fertiliser is necessary to get a good yield of wheat. The severe deficit of both means poor quality of grains in the wheat crops and premature flowering of apples and other fruits in the heat. Horticulture expert Dr SP Bhardwaj pointed out that the plants that go dormant in the winter are rejuvenated in the spring, and at this time, they are usually fed nutrients through manure. As a result, plants are fortified for the next crop cycle. This year, however, the entire crop cycle was disturbed.  HIMFED monopoly over procurement, distributionHIMFED obtains fertilisers from firms across the country and ensures its supply to the farmers and gardeners of Himachal Pradesh through its cells. In places where HIMFED does not have its own centres, it supplies fertilisers through open depots under the public distribution system (PDS). In fact, HIMFED alone sells 80% of the fertilisers in the state. Till February 2022, it distributed 22,958 tonnes of manure among farmers and gardeners, whereas, in the same month last year, it made 74,604 tonnes of manure available to them. This meagre supply also led to significant inflation in the price of fertilisers. As a result, under the leadership of senior CPI(M) leader and former mayor of Shimla Sanjay Chauhan, farmers and gardeners staged a protest against HIMFED selling fertilisers at higher prices than the open market.HIMFED sells fertilizers throughout the year but farmers purchase it during the start of cropping seasons due to storage issues at their end. Established by the state government, HIMFED shoulders the responsibility of buying and distributing fertilisers well in advance to prevent a shortage in supply. Under normal circumstances, farmers would visit HIMFED’s centres and local PDS depots to procure fertilisers. The overall shortage this time meant their centres, too, were low in stock, so farmers and gardeners resorted to buying their manure from the open market. Besides HIMFED, no other agency supplies fertilisers directly, and only a certain amount of manure is sold through shops in the open market.Farmers inspecting their apple orchards in Shimla (Picture sourced by Raman Kant)Beyond the applesBesides apples, the quality of wheat crops also suffered due to the non-availability of fertiliser. Bhag Singh, a wheat farmer from Una district, said his yield dropped by 10% from that last year and that both small and medium farmers had suffered due to the manure shortage. He claimed to have visited the government depot every day for a week to look for urea fertiliser for his crop, but had returned empty-handed each time.Similarly, Prem Singh, a gardener from Kullu district, said he worked with gardeners around his plot to collect manure for his plants, in an attempt to reduce crop loss. Rising temperatures and inadequate rainfall, coupled with an extended dry spell, are the other culprits behind the plight of Himachal's farmers today. According to data from the weather bureau, recorded from 1901 to 2022, March 2022 was the hottest March of the century. Such harsh weather can wreak havoc on apple crops, which require low temperatures to flourish. Horticulture expert Dr Kishore Sharma pointed out that the temperatures in 2022 have been several degrees above normal for this time of the year. “This change in temperature will cause problems in the fruit setting in apple trees, which can reduce crop production by 15% to 20%. The quality of the fruit will also be affected as a result of not receiving the necessary nutrients. In both circumstances, gardeners may have to bear financial losses,” Dr Sharma told 101Reporters.The annual turnover of apples in Himachal is over Rs 4.5 thousand crore, but if the unfavourable weather conditions persist, the state’s economic health is bound to take a hit. Traditional farming practices the way forwardOver the last 17 months, India witnessed the highest food inflation rate, with F&B prices skyrocketing across the country. In such a situation, a shortage of manure will inadvertently affect the production of crops and fruits countrywide, leading to further inflation and slower GDP growth. While it remains unclear how farmers and the HIMFED plan to tackle the prevailing crisis in Himachal Pradesh, a cursory look at the state of affairs would pave the way towards adopting methods of agriculture and gardening that minimise the use of fertilisers and pesticides. To help farmers take this route, in 2019-20, the central government launched the Bhartiya Prakritik Kheti Padhatti (BPKP) sub-scheme under the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, which falls within the umbrella of National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) with a budget outlay of 4645.69 crores till 2025 to promote organic and natural farming with the use of traditional practices. The government of Himachal Pradesh had also launched the Prakritik Kheti Khushal Kisan Yojna in 2018, to discourage the use of pesticides. Adopting such methods of agriculture would not only lessen farmers' dependence on chemical fertilisers but also reduce expenditure.Edited by Gia Claudette Fernandes

Himachal's new pilot to boost consumption of local, naturally-grown agricultural products

A new Integrated Sustainable Food System being introduced in Himachal Pradesh hopes to not just benefit local farmers but also strengthen food security and reduce malnutrition in the state.Shimla: Food security has been a major concern for India, and the Global Hunger Index 2021 report has only deepened this concern. India ranked 101 among 116 countries, below all its neighbouring countries — Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan. The report revealed that since 2000 there has been a drop of 29.1 per cent in India's ranking.The problem of food security is perceivable in almost all parts of the country, including the northern state of Himachal Pradesh. According to the National Family Health Survey 2019, 59.8 per cent of women aged 15 to 49 in Himachal are anaemic, 27 per cent of children below five years of age are stunted and 26.6 per cent of children are underweight. There is, hence, an urgent need to improve the health of women and children, which can only be ensured by the availability of chemical-free, nutritious food. Keeping this in mind, an Integrated Sustainable Food System is being created in Himachal Pradesh to provide a market for dairy products, fruits, vegetables and cereals grown naturally, without the use of fertilisers, pesticides and chemical growth regulators. For this, a blueprint has been created by the State Project Implementation Unit under the government scheme, Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Kisan Yojana.A transparent systemThe sustainable food system is being prepared in collaboration with experts from leading organisations in the field of food security across the world such as United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM-Organic), and National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) in France. A transparent system is being devised to transport the produce from the farmer's field to the consumer's plate. Emphasis will be laid on providing a market by aggregating these products and creating a brand.With this system, the farmer will be aware of the price at which their product is being sold in the market, and the consumer will be able to trace where and from whom the product has come from. Under this system, first, the food needs of the state will be met and after that, the products will be sent to other states.The main aim of this system is to strengthen food security and reduce malnutrition in the state. Chemical-free food is expected to improve the health of people and reduce nutritional disorders. In addition, the system will hugely benefit small and marginal farmers by ensuring that they get the right price for their crops. Since this is an open system database, the interaction between the consumer and the farmer will also be strengthened, as a result of which the farmers will get access to an open market. First, a survey of cereals, vegetables and fruits grown in all the four climatic zones of Himachal will be done. After this, arrangements will be made to sell vegetables, fruits and grains grown within one district and then across another district based on the need. With this system, the state government will also be able to reduce the import of food grains from other states by giving incentives to local farmers to grow what is needed.Current system in placeAt present, there is no systematic arrangement for the sale of various food products. Farmers sell their produce as per their own capabilities and through middlemen. The products grown using different agricultural techniques (chemical, organic and natural) fetch almost the same price at the market and the difference between these products is not clear to most buyers. The state government has, hence, taken steps to bring all the consumable products prepared naturally under one roof. Under this system, the surplus produce will be sold through farmer unions. Farmer Producer Organisations (FPO) and Farmer Producer Companies (FPC) will be formed within the state and be managed by a consortium of FPCs at the state level. High-level meeting on sustainable food systems held under the chairmanship of the chief minister (Picture courtesy of Raman Kant)Many organisations are coming forth to support this food system and work with the government. Recently, the draft of the system was shared at a high-level meeting between the state agriculture department, GIZ India and KfW Development Bank. In this meeting, Rajeev Ahal, Director, National Resource Management and Agroecology, GIZ India praised this system, calling it a unique initiative and said that it will soon set an example for other states to follow. Sangeeta Agarwal, senior sector specialist, KfW Development Bank assured her cooperation towards the formation of this system and also gave suggestions on linking farmers to this system and providing incentives to them.Challenges ahead The first challenge in implementing this system will be establishing smooth coordination between the departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, Forest and Rural Development. Along with this, connecting farmers, livestock farmers, dairy owners, meat sellers with this system and building trust may prove to be tough. Collaborating with the various stakeholders associated with the system, working in a phased manner according to the roadmap prepared under the draft, time-to-time monitoring and delivering the right food items to the consumer will also be challenging.The system is planned to be implemented within a year. Prof Rajeshwar Singh Chandel, executive director of Pratikriti Kheti Khushhal Kisan Yojana, said that efforts are on to ensure transparency and trust in the system. With the integration of new technology, a database of farmers will be created and shared. An app will also be created, which will show the available quantity of different products according to their geography in real-time. Chandel informed that after several rounds of talks with experts from institutions — FAO, INRAE, IFOAM, Biovision, GIZ, and Access Livelihoods — the food system has been drafted and is being sent to the government for in-principle approval so that work can start quickly.

ASHA workers in Himachal protest against exploitation, apathy

ASHA workers engaged in remote villages have been asking the government to fix minimum wages and compensate them for overtime.Shimla: Dejected by the government’s indifference to their plight, more than 7,500 Accredited Social Health Activists, or ASHA workers, in Himachal Pradesh had decided to gherao the state Assembly early in August. They said they were disappointed that, despite all their contributions in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 in more than 20,000 villages across the state, the government was doing nothing to compensate them for the risks they were taking or improve their financial situation. While the current assembly session passed without incident, the workers are continuing their fight off-stage. ASHA workers play a major role in the implementation of health schemes launched by both Central as well as state governments. In the countryside, they are known as Asha Didis and ever since the pandemic began, they have been the public face of the government's efforts to contain the spread in rural areas. More work for a pittanceKanta Devi, an ASHA worker in the remote village of Bharmour, said that their tasks before the onset of the pandemic was administering medicines to tuberculosis patients, maintaining records of children’s vaccination and providing support to pregnant women – giving them health advice and vitamin supplements as well as ensuring that they are taken to the hospital for delivery. However, after COVID-19 started spreading, the government assigned ASHA workers a number of additional tasks. Among them was the screening of around 150 recovered patients each day for post-covid tuberculosis. The ASHA workers have to ask each of them around 20 pre-set questions and upload the data on the health department’s app. For this additional work, they were being paid only 100 rupees per day, said Kanta Devi. This is not even sufficient to meet their travel expenses for the field visits, according to many ASHA workers. She said that the villages were located far from each other and because of poor or lack of internet connectivity, the ASHA workers often had to record the data on paper and upload it on the app later. She said if they failed to upload the data before 4 pm, they would lose the payment for that day. Because of this, many of them were forced to take the help of their family members to meet the target, she added.According to the data of the National Rural Health Mission (NHRM), India had 10,31,751 ASHA workers in 2018. At that time, even though the Central government had fixed a monthly honorarium of Rs 2,000, they would get only Rs 1500 in hand. In March this year, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur announced an additional monthly incentive of Rs 750 for each ASHA worker in the state, but this is yet to reach them. Rita, another ASHA worker from Bharmour, said that the authorities in the tribal district of Lahaul-Spiti were prompt in assigning them the task of persuading the rural folks there to take the COVID-19 vaccinations, but never considered that their salaries had been pending for up to three months. She said that because of the lack of public transport in those areas, she had to travel on foot wearing two masks and carrying a bottle of hand sanitiser to meet the people, leaving her two-year-old child back home. The government was not taking note of these struggles of ASHA workers, Rita added.An Asha Didi at work (Picture courtesy of ASHA workers association)Overtime goes unnoticed Kirti Negi, an ASHA worker in Kinnaur district, said uploading the health data using the app was a challenge because of poor internet connectivity. Sometimes, it required several attempts and they were forced to work overtime to complete the task. However, they were never paid for this, she said, adding that the government must come out with a transparent policy for the welfare of ASHA workers.  Usha Thakur, an office-bearer at an ASHA workers’ association, said the government was yet to fix working hours for these women who were struggling to take care of their responsibilities at home. She also said that the ASHA workers were grossly underpaid considering the amount of work they were doing and the risks they were taking by working in conditions that were making them vulnerable to coronavirus as well as tuberculosis infections.State president of the association, Satya Ranta, pointed out the fact that there was only one ASHA worker for every five villages was enough to highlight the workload on them. She said the government was exploiting these workers at the time of a pandemic. He demanded that the government come out with a concrete policy for their welfare and fix a reasonable minimum wage. She said the association continues to be in talks with the administration and MLAs. They were also seeking a second meeting with the CM. Should these talks fail, they won't hesitate to go on strike, she said.  (Top) The ASHA workers union addresses the press in Shimla; (bottom) The union leaders with the Chief Minister (Pictures courtesy of ASHA workers association)Ranta said that ASHA workers are the backbone of the rural health system but governments across the country have failed them and, as a result, they have had to take to the streets to bring attention to their issues. "As a leader and member of the association, I have learnt that governments don't bother about us and it is high time for us to come out for our rights. I am in constant touch with the ASHA workers of Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and other states. We are struggling to bring about a policy change so that our exploitation could end. I have met the CM, cabinet ministers and have written to the central health minister too. I am hopeful that government will do something for us. If it continues to betray us, we will go on an indefinite strike."A strike will have a significant impact on the health services in the state, with pregnant women and TB patients adversely affected. With the third wave looming, the government’s plans to detect fresh infections as well as treat and monitor the health of quarantined COVID-19 patients in the villages will suffer without the ASHA workers.