THE 21st CENTURY FARMERS

It was always difficult to argue with farmers who seemed to have mastered the trade especially in the 21st century. Their practices though are a lot different from those which I have seen in the 60's. In the past, or up until the late 20th century, farmers would leave at least a fourth of the fruits of the land for the poor, the destitute, the birds and other organisms to harvest. But today, not even the birds are allowed in farmlands. They have scarecrows to drive them away. There seems to be no use to bother. So, similar to others I continued to be a mere observer and consumer. Most farmers complain through the media of the poor returns of investments after their harvest. I regularly purchase similar goods in the market and they are usually expensive. So, I thought the poor supply must be the reason.

Yesterday however, after a heavy deluge in the North, thousands of hectares of farmlands were submerged exposing to the whole world the simple truth. The vastness of tilled lands and the volume of farm products could be supportive of cheaper marketable goods to ease the hunger of the needy and the destitute. Nontheless, the farmers, vendors, middlemen and their dependents who were all crying for rescue, almost submerged with their farms could only mean one thing. For years while they have kept the bounty to themselves, nature saw to it that they can really keep it for themselves forever, but, under water and under the soil.