Even as the farmers and activists wake up to the adverse impacts of growing corporatisation of agriculture, the government policy seems in no mood to relent. The powers that be are clearly slanted towards increasing corporate control.
Two reports published in newspapers of Himachal Pradesh on 19th July draw attention towards these trends. One, about farmers bodies protesting the huge losses incurred in the process of growing tomato seeds of a big company Rockstar Seeds. The other speaks of the policy decision that links retail giants to apple orchards as market preference.
Earlier, the media has carried a number of reports highlighting the distress of Solan farmers and nearby areas. They reaped a poor tomato yield from the much hyped Rockstar seeds. Consequently, they found no takers for their scrappy harvest. The expenses incurred by the farmers on labour and overhead costs has gone down the drain as the million odd tomato plants have borne little fruit.
There was some talk about the farmers being compensated for the losses they suffered but there was no headway. In a Kisan Sabha conference held in Solan in July, there were demands that apart from compensating the farmers, seeds and pesticide supply be regulated, cold storage facility be made available and setting up of processing facilities for crops that necessitate expeditious processing.
On the other hand, the government is on a different trajectory. It seems more inclined to offer a bigger slice of the cake to private companies. A news report stated several retail giants had been issued NOCs ( No Objection Certificate) for purchasing apples directly from the orchards that will facilitate them to open their own centres. The decision was justified on the premise that it would reduce the dependence on “arhatis” or traditional traders. The report also said if orchard owners complained about e traditional traders, the latter would be severely dealt with and their trading licence would be cancelled.
There is a political twist in this tale. There is a BJP government in Himachal, and in the past, the party had been inclined favourably towards the traditional traders – their crucial social base. With retail giants expanding their girth with regards to food and farm produce, it has done a volte face on the issue. It has thrown its dice in favour of big business houses and multinational companies. Little wonder, the traditional traders feel left in the lurch.
Some front organisations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) like the Swadeshi Jagran Manch continue their posturing of opposing multinational companies, but the party is doing exactly the opposite in the retail sector. That this has put the small farmer in a quandary and seriously jeopardised their sustenance is evident on the ground.
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Bharat Dogra
The writer is a journalist and author of two books, Man Over Machine and When the Two Streams Met.
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