‘It all depends on the crop’: Gulf crisis hits South Asia farmers

Gurdaspur, Punjab, India – Ramesh Kumar, 42, is anxiously doing the calculations for his crops this year. Standing at the edge of his wheat field in northwest Punjab’s Gurdaspur, he runs through the numbers in his head, totting up fertiliser costs, expected yield, and market prices. Then he shifts to more personal concerns: School fees, household expenses, loan repayments and the money he has been saving for his daughter Varsha’s wedding. “I don’t know if we can afford it this year,” he says. “Everything depends on the crop.” The uncertainty has crept in quietly. Fertiliser, once a fairly predictable staple…