2 minute speech on farmers the covid warriors
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Vegetables are the new gold. Whoever thought one would dream of roasted potato and carrot raita? These are strange times. After we venture out to buy them, mask and gloves on, we (hopefully) return triumphant, our bags bulging with carrots, beans, and tomatoes. As there is a limit to how much we can stock up on vegetables, it is inevitable that grocery stores have a steady stream of customers every day, as people balance keeping their families fed and following social distancing rules. Fortunately, despite the panic buying, shelves are kept reasonably well-stocked thanks to our farmers, supplying freshly-harvested fruits and vegetables every day. They are among the heroes of this pandemic.
“Agriculture is not something we can stall temporarily. No matter what happens to the world, it has to go on,” says R Jaganathan, founder of Nallakeerai, which specialises in local, seasonal greens and networks with organic farmers across India. He says that he has farmers calling him every day, speaking dejectedly about produce facing the risk of going waste. But he prefers to look at the lockdown in a positive light. “There is an increase in demand for supplies and we are all sending a silent thank you to our farmers when we come home with fresh vegetables after our grocery runs,” he says.
The main challenge now is in getting these precious goods to the consumer before they wilt. “The issue that has to be looked into is logistics,” states Jaganathan. “Now is the ideal time for the Government to step in and link farmers directly with consumers.” He says an authorised farm-to-door delivery service will benefit farmers as well as customers. “These vehicles can travel to all our interior villages,” he says, adding that he is taking greens from his farm on his vehicle to customers in the city.