Crop damage leaves farmers in lurch

KENDRAPARA: The recent flood has affected standing paddy and vegetable crops across the district rendering the farmers helpless. Bikram Das of Patrapur had cultivated paddy on his three acre land and his field still remains inundated. 

Worried about recovering the losses, he said the flood came as a bolt from the blue and left the farmers of his village devastated. Secretary of district Krusak Sabha Umesh Chandra Singh said it is a tough time for the farmers. Apart from food grains, the flood also took a toll on vegetable crops in several areas of the district leading to price rise. 

While one kg of brinjal cost Rs 20 per kg last week, it is now being sold at Rs 30 per kg in Kendrapara town market. Similarly, the price of pointed gourd has gone up from Rs 25 per kg to Rs 40 kg. Most vegetables like pumpkin and ladyfinger have registered a two-fold increase in prices.  The floods came just three months before the crops were to be harvested. In several affected villages, water hyacinth, considered the world’s worst water weed, was washed into the fields along with the flood water. 

“The farmers can only wait for the weed to perish as uprooting them would incur great expenditure,” said Madhan Das of Gobindapur village in Aul block. District emergency officer Sambeet Satapathy said paddy crops that have remained under water for two or three days will either be destroyed or the yield will be woefully low. He said the affected farmers will be given Government assistance soon.

Ran cheer for farmers
Jeypore: Rains across Koraput district have brought cheer to the farmers community. Sources said, paddy crops are in flowering stage and needed water. Scanty rains had the farmers of several blocks of the district worried. However, mild and heavy rains in the last few days has brought them hope. Over 40 mm rainfall was recorded in the last 48 hours in the district.