Punjab farmers await opening of tractor mandis even during Unlock 2.0

Ahead of the sowing season in June and November, the sale and purchase of used tractors hits the peak, but, these markets are completely out of business since the lockdown was imposed in March in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak

Farmers across Punjab are eagerly awaiting opening of the much sought-after ‘tractor mandis’ that continue to face closure even in the Unlock 2.0 phase.

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For the last three decades, these informal open markets for the sale and purchase of used tractors were held every week at Talwandi Sabo (Bathinda), Moga, Kotkapura (Faridkot) and Barnala.

Ahead of the sowing season in June and November, the sale and purchase of used tractors hits the peak. But these markets are completely out of business since the lockdown was imposed in March in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Major Singh, a farmer from Talwandi Sabo who has taken 30 acres land on lease to sow paddy, wanted to sell his Ford-7,000 tractor to buy a smaller used machine to pay for farm labour.

“Due to the lockdown, locally available farm labourers charged exorbitant rates for sowing of paddy. This year’s rate for per acre is Rs 1,400 higher than the last season and I had no means to pay them the additional cost. As the tractor mandis are still closed, my plan to get cash for payments after buying a lower version of the tractor has been dashed,” he said.

Mahinder Singh, an enterprising farmer from Bathinda, said traders and farmers from various districts of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh used to visit the tractor mandis every week.

“After these mandis started in the 90s, they became the most preferred platform to sell or buy second-hand tractors. Several farmers have been contacting me to finalise deals for their tractors, but we have no buyers,” said Mahinder, who was among a group of farmers behind starting the concept of tractor mandis.

Resham Singh, a resident of Bhai Bakhtour village, said he intended to invest in a rotavator after selling his old tractor. But he ended up hiring a machine to prepare his fields for the kharif crop last month.

“I bought tractors at the Talwandi Sabo mandi thrice as it is a reliable place to invest in used tractors. Traders outside the mandi quoted low rate for my tractor and I have no option but to wait for the mandi to resume,” he added.

A marginal farmer from Barnala Gurdeep Singh said his additional income as a sales agent at the local mandi stopped due to the pandemic.

“During the peak season, about 250 tractors are sold in a month at the Barnala mandi. Like vegetable or fruit mandis, the authorities should also consider resuming the tractor mandis with adherence to Covid-19 guidelines as several farmers,” he said.