Ludhiana (Punjab) [India], June 11 (ANI): As cultivation of paddy crop begins, farmers in Ludhiana are facing a shortage of labourers as migrants went back to their native states amid the ongoing coronavirus-induced lockdown.

According to farmers, the available labourers are "demanding high prices" for the work.

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"Migrant labourers have gone to their home towns and labourers who are available are demanding high charges. They are demanding as much as Rs 6,000 per acre. The high charges of labourers are going to affect our income," Jugraj Singh, a farmer in Ludhiana, told ANI here.

He said that they are small-scale farmers and cannot afford machines as they are expensive and cost around Rs 10-12 lakhs.

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Notably, Punjab Industries and Commerce Minister Sunder Sham Arora had recently written to the Central government to arrange trains for bringing back willing migrant workers from their home states to join work.

Migrant workers had left for their homes from cities due to a lack of income as all industrial work and movement was halted due to the lockdown, imposed to prevent the spread of coronavirus. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)