After procurement delay, it rains trouble for farmers

Amid the delay in smooth procurement of paddy and its lifting from grain markets, unexpected rain on Sunday, along with thunderstorms, has added to the woes of farmers. It flattened the standing crops in the fields, which were ready for harvest.

Farmers, who are already grappling with the slow pace of procurement, are facing further distress as the paddy got soaked in rain. According to agriculture experts and farmers, the flattening may cause discolouration of grains. The rainfall, estimated to be about 10 mm, began in the early hours of Sunday, raising worry amongst the farmers. “The rain has not only flattened our crops but also increased moisture levels in the paddy, which is problematic at this stage. Many of us have been waiting for smooth procurement, and now with the rain, we are facing a shortage of space in the grain markets,” said Happy, a farmer.

“Nearly 50 per cent of the paddy is still at the harvesting stage, but rain has damaged our crop and will delay harvesting and selling, leading to more losses,” he added.

Farmers across the district have voiced similar concerns, accusing the government of failing to provide the promised relief.

“The government has failed to ensure smooth procurement of paddy across the state. We had been waiting for it, the rainfall has damaged our crop and now we are helpless. It has delayed harvesting as we’ll have to wait,” said Nirmal Singh, another farmer.

Agricultural experts said that rain showers were not required at this stage and it had damaged the crop. They rued that it had affected the quality of the crop which would eventually lower the earnings even more.

“Flattening of crops may lead to loss of yield. Farmers who have applied potash (25kg per acre) have escaped crop lodging,” said Dr Virender Lather, former principal scientist, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi.

He suggested the affected farmers to keep monitoring the flattened crop to avoid germination and rotting, so that further loss could be averted.