A recent study paints a grim scenario of dwindling national agricultural produce and attributes it to the rising trend among youths to seek employment abroad.

Narendra Phunyal of Fulbari, Taplejung used to head to his field with a pair of oxen and a plough on his shoulder as soon as the rains started. But, this

year, long after the start of monsoon, Phunyal remains at home while his land that yielded almost 5.5 metric tonnes of rice per year remains uncultivated. The reason: his two sons, one in Saudi Arabia and the other in Qatar, send him money, and he doesn’t need to work.

With most village youths leaving for foreign employment, vast swathes of arable land in many villages remain barren.

Narendra’s sons have told him he need not work as they send him money with which he can buy things and live comfortably.” He said he could not cultivate the field alone. Besides, almost no one is willing to work on daily wage basis. In Taplejung, many people of Narendra’s age either plough with whatever strength they have or wander from village to village in search of farm help.

Hari Subba of Taplethok says, “I have no idea how I’m going to plant rice this year. There is no fertiliser, no seed and on top of that all those who can work in the field are toiling in foreign lands,” he said, adding, “As my sons send me money every month, I buy rice and the likes with it and live comfortably.” His three ropani land has been left fallow this year.

As per the District Agricultural Development Office data, paddy will be planted in only 5,000 hectares of land this year, down from 11,000 hectares in the previous year. The office has attributed this slump to lack of manpower created by migration of youth from villages for foreign employment. If data anything to go by, 2,935 youths of the district had acquired passport by

June. According to the administration’s passport department, about 20 to 30 youths reach the administration office seeking passport every day.

Published on: 14 July 2013 | The Himalayan Times