According to the experts in Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana, the labour shortage forced the zamindars to negotiate at almost double the wages and this has helped in more ways than one.
The arrival of a few migrant labourers has reduced the pressure on the farmers. Also the labourers, working as daily-wage earners in the near-by factories, are lured by the remuneration being offered for paddy transplantation.
"A daily wage of Rs 200 is attractive as compared to Rs 100 that I get from the factory," says, Gurdiyal Singh, a daily-wage earner.
"The current labour shortage is conspicuous but one need not panic. The sowing can be stretched by up to 15 days without effecting the productivity. The endeavour to grab labour earlier has accentuated the short supply of labour," Agricultural Economist S S Johl told Business Standard.
He added that this might have come as a blessing in disguise. This would motivate farmers to opt for mechanical or aerobic plantation. He acknowledged that the increasing job potential due to industrialisation and NREGP in other states were responsible for the current crisis and added that Punjab farmers should become self sufficient to avoid this in future.
Although farmers complained that the local labour has less efficient as compared with labourers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, but they are compelled to hire them. The local Punjabi labour working in factories and construction sector were paid Rs 100 per day but by switching over to paddy transplantation they are earning Rs 200 a day.
"Initially we were clueless about the prospects of our fields, as there was severe labour shortage in the state. The availability of local labour from Punjab has eased the situation to some extent but not fully. Farmers are paying anywhere between Rs 1,100-1,700 per acre (depending upon the availability) for sowing as compared to Rs 650-700 per acre earlier," said Mohinder Jeet Singh of Ladhra village in Jalandhar district.
"We hope that we would be able to sow our fields in time with the availability of local labour and arrival of migrant labourers lately," said another farmer Surjit Singh Sekhon of village Talwandi Abdar. It is learnt that even local ladies and children are coming forward for paddy transplantation earlier dominated by migrant labourers.
The ratio between migrant and local labourers in some districts is almost equal.
"Earlier the transplantation was mainly carried out by the migrant labours but only 10 migrant labourers came to our village this year. The availability of local labours has saved our fields," said Harjinder Singh of Amritsar district.
The total projected area under paddy cultivation in Punjab for the current year is 26.5 lakh hectare and a good monsoon is likely to fetch good returns for the farmers.
