I HAVE one indian colleague at my work. We both bring lunch boxes and eat together at the meeting room. So we used to talk about our stories during our lunch time. He recently went back India and I asked him if everything fine with his family as formal greeting. He was so fresh after coming back from home going trip. At one point, I ask what kind of business does his his family do. He replied traditional agricultural job, they are doing. Then I ask if there is any supporting role from state government for farmer. He said, yes they got some help from government by the beginning of the cultivated season. I understood from him that the farmers are given loan by state bank based on how much they have farmland. It means, the more farming, the more assistance from bank.
I was amazing to learn that and continue to ask him.
Me: How much do the farmers need to pay interest?
Frd: No need, it's interest-free.
Me : Wow,,,so good, your government.
Frd: Beside, the farmer are supposing to return half amount of the loan they have taken.
Me : It's unbelievable....are you sure or not?
Frd: Yes, it's for sure.
Me : Then, do the farmer must sell the agri-product to government with far below market price?
Frd: No need, it's not compulsory to sell government.
Me : Then how do the farmer sell their product?
Frd: Usually farmer sell their product to government.
Me : Your government give market price?
Frd : Yes they pay as per market price. Otherwise the farmer won't sell them.
Me : What a lucky your country men to have such government?
Frd : Last year, the farm were spoiled by adverse weathers and severe drought and floods.
Me : So,,what are consequence of that?
Frd : Our government withdrew their loan to all farmer.
Me : Wow,,,so clever and responsible government, friend.
Frd : Yes, farmer are hopeless but seeing their spoiled cultivation.
Me : I have seen a lot similar stories in my own country.
Frd : Then what does your government do that?
Me : Hmmmmm,,,,,our people just blame their fate rather than expecting our government to do something for them.
Frd : It's not fair for people being ignored by the government tho took their tax.
Me : But this it the way we are living with.
Frd : Nobody complain ?
Me : Who dare to complain against authority must be brave enough to live in Jail.
Frd : Oh God.
My indian friend and I were paused for a while as we are thinking what to say next. There are other stories shared by him about his country. When I listen their life, I understand the right of people better. We grow up amidst unfair environment and we were effectively ignored by a group of powerful people. Our country has over 60 million population and 67% of them are living in rural areas and doing agri based jobs. Our country was once known as a rice bowl of Asia because that time we exported our rice the biggest quantity among other rice-exporting countries. However, nowadays the life of farmer and peasant become poor and they are just finishing their life as a grass root society. They are not getting enough support from government. In the meaning of support, they need not only financial support but technology to catch up the demand of market. Without technology, the production goes down by time as farmland become less fertilize. As a result, the farmer need more fertilizer to use and it make them unaffordable in long term because the product become lesser. These days, climate are unpredictable. Every year the monsoon rain become inconsistency as a result of deforestation. Irrigation is not reliable in most of the farm area. So most of farmer rely on natural weather such as rain and snow. If the weather goes unexpected, they suffer to dead. Then whom they can expect to come and relax their heavy burden? Nobody but they have to swallow all incoming bad taste. It can lead them pull out their school age children from school before they end school. By this way, their life become worse after worse by time.
May our new government find a proper solution to ease our farmer's life.
I was amazing to learn that and continue to ask him.
Me: How much do the farmers need to pay interest?
Frd: No need, it's interest-free.
Me : Wow,,,so good, your government.
Frd: Beside, the farmer are supposing to return half amount of the loan they have taken.
Me : It's unbelievable....are you sure or not?
Frd: Yes, it's for sure.
Me : Then, do the farmer must sell the agri-product to government with far below market price?
Frd: No need, it's not compulsory to sell government.
Me : Then how do the farmer sell their product?
Frd: Usually farmer sell their product to government.
Me : Your government give market price?
Frd : Yes they pay as per market price. Otherwise the farmer won't sell them.
Me : What a lucky your country men to have such government?
Frd : Last year, the farm were spoiled by adverse weathers and severe drought and floods.
Me : So,,what are consequence of that?
Frd : Our government withdrew their loan to all farmer.
Me : Wow,,,so clever and responsible government, friend.
Frd : Yes, farmer are hopeless but seeing their spoiled cultivation.
Me : I have seen a lot similar stories in my own country.
Frd : Then what does your government do that?
Me : Hmmmmm,,,,,our people just blame their fate rather than expecting our government to do something for them.
Frd : It's not fair for people being ignored by the government tho took their tax.
Me : But this it the way we are living with.
Frd : Nobody complain ?
Me : Who dare to complain against authority must be brave enough to live in Jail.
Frd : Oh God.
My indian friend and I were paused for a while as we are thinking what to say next. There are other stories shared by him about his country. When I listen their life, I understand the right of people better. We grow up amidst unfair environment and we were effectively ignored by a group of powerful people. Our country has over 60 million population and 67% of them are living in rural areas and doing agri based jobs. Our country was once known as a rice bowl of Asia because that time we exported our rice the biggest quantity among other rice-exporting countries. However, nowadays the life of farmer and peasant become poor and they are just finishing their life as a grass root society. They are not getting enough support from government. In the meaning of support, they need not only financial support but technology to catch up the demand of market. Without technology, the production goes down by time as farmland become less fertilize. As a result, the farmer need more fertilizer to use and it make them unaffordable in long term because the product become lesser. These days, climate are unpredictable. Every year the monsoon rain become inconsistency as a result of deforestation. Irrigation is not reliable in most of the farm area. So most of farmer rely on natural weather such as rain and snow. If the weather goes unexpected, they suffer to dead. Then whom they can expect to come and relax their heavy burden? Nobody but they have to swallow all incoming bad taste. It can lead them pull out their school age children from school before they end school. By this way, their life become worse after worse by time.
May our new government find a proper solution to ease our farmer's life.
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