Puri: The countrywide lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus has taken a heavy toll on the livelihood of thousands of betel leaf farmers in the district here.
Many farmers have raised apprehensions that betel leaf farming in Puri district may face a wipeout if the situation does not improve in near future.
According to sources, thousands of farmers in Pipli, Balanga, Satasankha, Nimapara, Bamnala, Charichhak, Nayahaat, Kakatpur, Astarang, Banguria and Konark area of Puri district usually opt for betel leaf farming for their sustenance.
These farmers usually sell betel leaves at Pipli, Nayahaat, Othaka, Kundhei, Astarang markets in Puri district and Niali market in Cuttack district. Many traders procure huge quantities of betel leaves from the farmers of Puri district and send them to far-flung places like Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore and Visakhapatnam. Some traders also send betel leaves to Bangladesh, sources added.
However, the sale and purchase of betel leaves in the district have been completely stopped in recent days due to countrywide lockdown over the coronavirus that has claimed around 25,000 lives across the world.
The coronavirus lockdown has affected the livelihood of at least 12,000 betel leaf farmers in Kakatpur block, 10,000 farmers in Astarang block and 15,000 farmers in Nimapara block of the district. Similarly, 15,000 betel leaf farmers in Gop block and another 10,000 in Pipli block have also been affected by the countrywide restrictions on vehicular traffic.
“Cyclonic storm Fani had damaged our betel vineyards completely in May last year. We raised the vineyards afresh by investing huge amounts of money. Now, all the betel shops in Puri and elsewhere have been shut down as a precautionary measure against coronavirus. Besides, the restrictions on vehicular traffic have prevented us from supplying betel leaves anywhere,” said Narendra Behera, a farmer in Astarang area of the district.
Surendra Pal, a farmer from Kakatpur, claimed that huge quantities of betel leaves have been damaged in vineyards in last few days. “Some farmers are now feeding betel leaves to cattle. The Centre and the state government should understand our plight and provide some financial assistance to us,” Pal added.
