In his very first kharip season he planted cucumber of a particular variety called kheera. He was told that it was a quick growing variety and fetched good price. Within three months he got five-six sacks of cucumber which he promptly dispatched to the middleman in Pune market. After deducting selling expenses he received Rs. 183 in hand. This was his very first income from the farm and he was naturally very pleased. For the second cucumber crop again he got something similar. But for the third crop he had a totally different experience. That time he had increased the crop area and got ten sacks of cucumber. As earlier, he dispatched it to the middleman in Pune and called on him after three-four days hoping to receive at least three hundred Rupees. After a while a clerk in that office pressed an envelope in Joshi’s hands and demanded from him Rs. 32. ‘What for?’ asked perplexed Joshi. ‘Open the envelope and you will know,’ replied the clerk. At once Joshi opened the envelope and read the paper inside. The gist of what was scribbled on it was like this: Total expense incurred on transport, portage, commission, weighing charges, Market Committee tax and contribution to the Chief Minister’s Fund was this much, money received by selling cucumber this much; due from the farmer was Rs. 32. Joshi was crestfallen. The value of his crop was not sufficient even to cover the post-harvest selling cost. To cover that deficit he had to shell out Rs. 32 from his own pocket! In the language of the local farmers that was called “ulati patti” (reverse voucher) – which meant that instead of getting something from the market, the farmer ended up paying something! In all this there was no consideration for the seeds, labour, manure, pesticides, water and other pre-harvest expenses! The cost incurred on the land, bank interest, the cost of his own labour and other overheads were not even looked at! In that Hands in Soil
Q
87
