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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Farm labour barter beats cash crunch -Manoj Kar

Farm labour barter beats cash crunch -Manoj Kar

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published Published on Dec 18, 2016   modified Modified on Dec 18, 2016
-The Telegraph

Paradip: For Jugal Kishore Lenka, a marginal farmer from Goda village in Erasama block of Jagatsinghpur district, badalia, the once popular system of exchange of labour, has come as a big relief.

Cash strapped by demonetisation, he was worried about labour payments for harvesting his paddy.

Now, he has entered into a badalia arrangement with fellow farmer Sudam Sahu, who is also looking for labour for paddy harvesting.

They can now exchange labour and harvest their crop without any money changing hands.

"We will begin paddy harvesting in a day or two. Currency crisis has forced me not to involve farm labourers in the harvesting work. Sudam's family and mine account for four labourers each. We will work for each other and get our work done," said Lenka, who owns half an acre of irrigated land.

The practice of badalia, a system wherein a farmer, who is not necessarily an agricultural labourer, works in another farmer's field without asking for wages, is witnessing a revival in coastal Odisha that is now reeling from cash crunch following scrapping of high-value currency notes.

"This labour barter practice was there long ago and used to come in handy for farmers when they faced a crisis of farm labour," said deputy director of agriculture department Prafulla Kumar Mishra.

He added that the practice was picking up again in certain areas because of gradual escalation of farm labour crisis triggered by the cash crunch.

Mukund Behera, 53, a farmer from Nikirai village in Kendrapara district, also felt that the labour barter practice had come to him as a big relief. He had no clue about harvesting his paddy since he had no money to pay labourers.

Then he negotiated a deal with fellow farmer Gokuli Rout who lives in the neighbourhood. They pledged to work in each other's fields and harvest the crop.

"We have begun the harvesting exercise. After Rout's harvesting comes to an end, it will be my turn. We hope to finish the joint operation in eight to 10 days from now," Behera said.

Rout also admitted that badalia had come as a boon for people like him who were beginning to worry about their crop rotting in the fields.

"This year, we have a good crop and unless it is harvested in time, there would be a huge amount of wastage. As luck would have it, the central government's demonetisation move came at this crucial time. Since we don't have adequate cash, arranging for labour is a challenge. This practice of labour exchange had come to our rescue," he said.

Farmers like Rout don't think that toiling in another farmer's field lowers their dignity.

"It is, in fact, the need of the hour. Labour exchange is also creating a fresh bond among farmers," he said.

The Telegraph, 17 December, 2016, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1161218/jsp/frontpage/story_125359.jsp#.WFab17mdeyA


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