Rain, hail hit harvest as state farmers battle virus onslaught

TNN | Apr 29, 2020, 05:00 IST

Ranchi: The recent spell of rain and thundershowers has added to the woes of the already stressed farmers, who are battling poor harvests and lack of market due to the ongoing lockdown. Seasonal fruits and vegetables are hit hardest by showers and hail, the farmers said.
In its bulletin on Tuesday, IMD Ranchi has predicted light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorm and wind with a speed up to 40-50 kmph in most parts of the state till May 4. The phenomenon is due to the cyclonic circulations and remnant western disturbances, the bulletin said. Since the last few days, several parts of the state have been witnessing rain and thunderstorms in the afternoon hours.
Though the wet spell has provided relief to the residents from the scorching heat, agriculture experts are concerned over the damage of seasonal fruits like mango and litchis. Talking to TOI, A M Ansari, a horticultural scientist at the Birsa Agricultural University (BAU), said, “Hailstorms will undoubtedly damage seasonal fruits like mango and litchi. The untimely rain in January and February had already caused harm to the flowering of these crops by on a large scale.”
He added, “Rain is good for the fruits, but if hailstorms follow, it will cause damage. The farmers will have to suffer even more as production of green vegetables like ladies’ finger, brinjal, yard-long bean and cucumber will be severely affected by the rain. Moreover, rain on a daily basis increases chances of diseases in the plants.”
Kishore Mahto, a vegetable grower in Pithoria, said, “A few months ago, vast swathes of tomatos and cauliflower crops were damaged due to the untimely rain and hailstorms. Thereafter, whatever vegetable harvest I could manage was sold at at cheaper rates due to the lockdown and transportation woes. I can only pray to God that I could make up with the next lot of vegetables and fruits in my farm.”