Bhawanipatna: Torching of pest-affected paddy crops by frustrated farmers continues with steps yet to be taken by the government, even as many farmers have ended their lives in a span of a week in different parts of the state owing to crop loss.
After farmers in Bargarh, Sambalpur, Ganjam and other major districts torched their farms, farmers in Kalahandi have also taken the drastic step.
A farmer of Dumerbahal village, 17 km away from Sadar block in Kalahandi district reportedly torched his 3-acre paddy farm Sunday. He was identified as Prabhat Biswal, son of Jayadev Biswal. He is now under a burden of Rs 1.40 lakh that he had borrowed from PACS for agricultural purposes.
According to sources, Jayadev Biswal had taken a loan of Rs 70,000 in his name while another Rs 70,000 was taken in his son Prabhat’s name this kharif season. They also had taken loans from private moneylenders and cultivated paddy in an 8-acre farm and hoped for a good harvest to repay their loans.
However, their hopes of a bumper harvest were dashed after the standing crops were affected of BPH pests.
They bought pesticide and sprinkled it in the paddy field, but to no avail. Instead of decreasing, the pest gradually kept spreading throughout their farm that brought them huge loss.
Since then, they were under stress with constant pressure of repaying the loans. Under stress, Jayadev died October 6 leaving behind all the responsibilities on Prabhat. Left alone, Prabhat ran from pillar to post to take the matter to the notice of the local administration in vain.
Frustrated, he set the farm on fire in a bid to prevent it from spreading to other farms. When contacted, the district deputy director of agriculture said that a report was being prepared and steps to compensate the farmers would be taken soon after orders from the government. Notably, many more farmers in the district have also taken the extreme step as they wait for the government to extend a helping hand.
Pests shatter hopes of Telkoi farmers
Telkoi, Nov 5: Farmers in many panchayats under tribal-dominated Telkoi block in Keonjhar district are now a distressed lot as pest onslaught on the paddy had been growing by the day. They have lost their hopes for good harvest this kharif.
As the crisis is growing day by day, a team of agriculture officials have started making filed visits from Saturday in panchayats and taking stock of the situation.
A report said, the hilly areas lack irrigation facilities and the paddy crop is solely dependent on rainfall. Due to scanty rainfall, paddy cultivation has not been carried out in 60 per cent of the farmlands in the block.
Farmers said that pests have attacked paddy in the remaining 40 per cent of the farmland. Though farmers have applied has pesticide and chemicals to the paddy crop, they are not working, rued the farmers.
Farmer Bhuban Sahu said that despite pesticide being applied, there is no respite from pest onslaught on paddy. There is hardly any chance of paddy harvest, he alleged.
Meanwhile, agriculture officials visited Khuntapad, Nuagad, Deulidiha, Jagamohanpur, Binjbahal, Sirigida and Akula and talked to farmers.
Farmers cultivated paddy by taking loans from cooperative societies, banks and borrowing from money-lenders. They lamented that when there is hardly any chance for harvesting, how they will manage their families and repay the loans.
District agriculture officer Kashinath Khuntia said that officials have been visiting villages and assessing the damage. The report will be given to the government, he added. PNN
