Post News Network
Daringbadi, Dec 9: Faced with crop loss reportedly due to poor quality seeds supplied to them by government agencies, potato farmers of this block in Kandhamal district demanded compensation and waiver of loan Wednesday. They warned of agitation in case their demands are not met by the state government.
“We had expected a bumper harvest and put in a lot of efforts to raise the crops by borrowing heavily for the purpose. But crop loss left us high and dry,” said farmers at a meeting here Wednesday.
About 320 farmers from various parts of the block attended the meeting organised by a voluntary outfit Jagruti and demanded complete waiver of loan and compensation of at least Rs 20,000 to each farmer towards crop loss.
They deliberated on their problems and decided to submit a memorandum to the Chief Minister and send copies of it to the agriculture minister, horticulture director and district collector.
According to reports, in the wake of acute potato shortage, the government decided to take up tuber cultivation in this block and supplied over 2,483 quintals of seeds to farmers. Potato cultivation was taken up in Daringbadi, Bhramarbadi, Siangbali, Danekbadi, Grenbadi, Partamaha, Sriniketa, Simanbadi, Jirikuti and Badabanga.
Potato cultivation was taken up by farmers independently over 124.15 hectare while the horticulture department sponsored 81 farmers to raise the crop over 26.02 hectare. Under Jagruti’s initiative, 248 farmers took up tuber farming over 89.15 hectare. Besides, 68 farmers took up the cultivation on 8.8 hectare under the watershed project.
The farmers, however, suffered crop loss after pests attacked the roots of tuber. A team of horticulturists and farm experts visited the farmlands and advised farmers to spray pesticides on their crops. But this failed to work and the tuber samplings got completely rotted by pest onslaught.
Admitting that farmers incurred crop loss, deputy director of district horticulture department Susant Kumar Subudhi blamed it on the poor quality seeds supplied by Bhubaneswar-based Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology. PNN