Seeds of trouble

Labour shortage puts record rabi harvest at risk

Rabi output, an anticipated all-time high, seems to be staring at an uncertain future because of an acute shortage of labour and machines to harvest the crops and manage the produce in the fields and market yards. The government has, no doubt, lifted all curbs on agriculture-related activities and support services to facilitate unhindered harvesting, marketing, and the upkeep of the produce, but normalcy is still elusive. The farmers are not finding enough hands to do the fieldwork due to the outflow of migratory labour after the declaration of national shutdown. Official grain procurement operations, too, are in disarray due