Baliapal: The possible landfall of Cyclone Asani in Odisha has created fear and apprehension in the minds of the farmers in several districts across the state. The farmers are a worried lot as Rabi crops are slowly ripening and harvesting is on in some parts of Balasore district. The farmers apprehend that incessant rains triggered by the cyclonic storm will dash their hopes of a bumper harvest.
Some farmers have already started harvesting premature paddy and storing it at safe places as cyclone fears loom large. The threat of the cyclone has added to the woes of the farmers who are already debt-ridden due to crop loss in the last season.
“It would take at least a few weeks more for the paddy crops to become fit for harvesting. But if it rains, the crops will be damaged completely. So, we have started harvesting. But, the quality will suffer,” a farmer said.
While farmers have been asked to immediately harvest the crops and keep them in safe places before the storm approaches, those who had cultivated paddy in vast tracts of agricultural lands are facing problems now.
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Farmers complained that it is extremely hard to cut the crops and lift them to safe places in such a short span of time. With no easy availability of harvester machines, they have now become dependent on labourers who are charging more to help in the cutting and lifting of paddy.
“There is a shortage of manpower and harvester machines. Furthermore, preparing places to store the harvested crop in such a short period is difficult,” many farmers rued.
The worst is the condition of farmers who had cultivated paddy by taking loans. If the crops are damaged, it would be extremely difficult for the farmers to repay the loans.
Not only paddy, but vegetable and other small and marginal farmers growing other products are also worried about the impending storm.