Chandbali: Low pressure-induced rain has started pouring across the state, giving a tough time to the already harried farmers, who are yet to bring paddy home from their fields in Chandbali block of Bhadrak district.
While the rain earlier damaged paddy in many acres, the unseasonal showers have added to the plight of farmers. They are worried over the condition of paddy that gets soaked in rain and damaged later.
The area had received 35 per cent more than the normal rainfall in 102 rain days in June, July, September and October. In four rain days of November, the area had received 175.1 mm, affecting kharif and rabi crops extensively.
In some areas, ripe paddy is getting wet in water-logged farmlands. Harvested paddy has been left in the wet farmland. “We find it difficult to cut paddy in soggy ground. There is inordinate delay in harvesting paddy. Now, our main concern is to shift the reaped paddy than to cut the left out crop,” said Rajendra Sahu, a farmer of Bhatapada.
Shortage of farmhands is another problem. A worker demands Rs 400 per day. To avoid labour problems and quicken the harvesting process, some famers have engaged machines, but the poor farmers are unable to pay their rent.
“One has to spend Rs 6,000 to harvest paddy in an acre of land with machine,” said Sridhar Behera, a farmer of Mato. Shifting paddy from soggy farmland to the yards has been a tough task for farmers, as there are no tracks made to the farmland.
The rain has left the farmers flustered. Many farmers have preferred to sell their paddy to traders on the field itself. Some have stacked paddy bundles in their farmlands and covered them with polythene sheets.
The rain has left the famers in a Catch 22 situation that they neither properly harvest paddy nor shift it to home. On the other hand, the government has not yet opened procurement centres. At this time, farmers have to sell paddy at around Rs 1,200 per quintal to traders, said CPI (M) leader Malay Bhoi.
Farmers in some areas under Basudevpur block are also hastening the paddy harvest so as to save the crop from rains. Traders and middlemen have become active to buy paddy for Rs 200 or 300 less than the government fixed price minimum support price amid allegations of inconvenience in procurement. PNN
