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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Forecast of rain, winds worries groundnut, cotton cultivators -Gopal B Kateshiya

Forecast of rain, winds worries groundnut, cotton cultivators -Gopal B Kateshiya

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published Published on Oct 31, 2014   modified Modified on Oct 31, 2014
-The Indian Express

Rajkot (Gujarat): Even as the Met department said that cyclonic storm Nilofar may not hit Kutch and Saurashtra coasts with the ferocity feared earlier, the forecast of rain and gusty winds have cultivators of groundnut and cotton worried.

Saurashtra produces around 90 per cent of groundnut and around 60 per cent of cotton of the state. Farmers fear that the cyclone may damage to the twin cash crops. These crops are also sown on a large scale in Kutch.

Nilofar is expected to make landfall on Friday or early Saturday near Naliya in Abdasa taluka of Kutch. The Met department has predicted that under the effect of the cyclone, Kutch and Saurashtra will experience heavy to very heavy rain and winds gusting up to 80 km per hour. While the state government is working hard to mitigate the impact of the natural calamity, farmers fear the unseasonal rain and strong winds may wreck havoc on their crops.

"Only around 20 per cent of harvesting of groundnut has been completed while the cotton lints are ready for first picking of the season. If it rains with high velocity winds, cotton crop will be damaged completely as flowers and cotton bolls, which are peaking, will fall while the plant boughs may also break," said Shyamji Mayatra, president of Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), Kutch district.

Farmers in Mandvi, Lakhtar, Mundra, Anjar, Bhuj, Nakhtrana and Abdasa talukas of Kutch grow cotton and groundnut on large scale. Mandvi and Mundra also have mango, date, coconut and chikoo (sapodilla) farms "My cotton crop, spread across 20 acres, is ready for first picking but finding labour is very difficult. If it rains, cotton crop will be a complete failure. Plants have shed a majority of their leaves due to adverse weather and nothing will be left if the bolls which have opened up are damaged," Surender Singh Bhullar, a farmer of Laija village in Mandvi taluka, said.

President of Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) of Morbi, Magan Vadavia said unseasonal rain and wind can damage cotton crop in Morbi which is among the largest cotton producing districts of Saurahtra. "The first cotton crop is peaking now as the monsoon had arrived late. The hot weather in past month had damaged the crop to some extent. Rains now can mean complete failure of this cash crop," Vadavia said.

Magan Bavarva, a farmer of coastal Bhavpar village in Maliya taluka of Morbi said he was worried about his hay. "Jowar which I had grown for fodder is drying up in field. Government officers have advised to store it in godown. But where can I store such a large amount?," said Bavarva.

In Gondal, which is known for groundnut cultivation, the situation is slightly better. "Around 25 per cent of groundnut has been harvested. But rains can damage crops up to 30 per cent. Pods would turn black and fodder would decay. But the biggest damage will be done to cotton," Gondal APMC chairman Jenti Dhol said.

Manu Baldha, a farmer of Gundala village in Gondal taluka said that harvested groundnut was lying in field of many farmers of his village and that it might be damaged if it rained.

Government officers concur rain and winds can damage the two important cash crops of the region. "We have advised farmers to do picking of cotton if labour is available while delay harvesting groundnut by a few days," district agriculture officer of Rajkot, Babu Agath told The Indian Express.


The Indian Express, 30 October, 2014, http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/forecast-of-rain-winds-worries-groundnut-cotton-cultivators/99/


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