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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Prithviraj Chavan should declare wet drought in Maharashtra: Farmers by Vaishali Balajiwale

Prithviraj Chavan should declare wet drought in Maharashtra: Farmers by Vaishali Balajiwale

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published Published on Nov 24, 2010   modified Modified on Nov 24, 2010

Soon after the monsoon was over, rains made unseasonal comeback in Nashik and nearby areas again on Diwali day. As days passed, the initial surprise turned into shock as it rained night after night, and by Sunday it had rained 525mm in November.

Heavy showers and thunderstorms all over the district damaged the crops so much that nothing of the rabi (winter) crop remains. Vineyards have thrown away young berries at the flowering stage, ready-to-be-harvested onions have been spoilt, while those in storage have rotten as they got wet. Vegetables have been soiled, and corn, sugarcane, soyabean and other rabi crop, which were to yield a harvest by now, have gone waste.

The rotting of paddy and nagali (finger millet) has spelt doom for the tribals in Trimbakeshwar where these are the main crop. The tribals farm on small pieces of land, and the nagali yield is used for consumption, while the rice is sold to the mills.

“Paddy needs lot of attention and maintenance. The production cost for one acre of paddy is about Rs15,000, and the yield is about 10-12 quintals of rice, which may fetch the farmer around Rs800 a quintal. But with the heavy rains, the crop that was ready for harvest is lying flat on the ground. The rice grains within are wet and have become brittle. The husk has turned black. This leaves no hope that the mill owners will buy this stuff. All is in vain now,” said Shambunana Gangurde of Kachurli hamlet, who has laid out his rice grain in the hope of drying it, but the cloudy weather leaves no scope for that either.

Soma Pardhi, another tribal who holds a small piece of land, is almost in tears as he tries to clean his rice grain. “Who is going to eat this? Even the cattle will refuse it as it stinks,” he states.

“It has been raining since eight days now. How will the crop last? However mush we try to clean it, we very well know that it is damaged beyond repair,” laments Parvatibai Kalu Pardhi, another tribal.

A little further from the Kachurli village, some men and women are working furiously. They are husking rice and cleaning the grain but what remains is just broken granules. The owner of the five-acre land, Suresh Damu Gangurde, is helpless with knee deep water in his paddy fields.

“For how long can I let the crop decay in the water. I had to employee people to cut it. Now I am trying to see if I can get anything out of this. The cost of production has been immense. My standing crop looked golden until eight days ago and would have yielded at least 50-60 quintals of rice. Last year, I got about Rs1,600 per quintal for my good variety of rice. But this year, this black grain will give me nothing. Instead, I will have to spend more to clean and clear my field,” Gangurde said.

Shailendra Gangurde, a social worker in the area, has been touring the tribal hamlets to build hope and strength among the poor. “But it is a grim picture. The nagali crop may look like it is still standing, but it has turned black due to fungus growth. The paddy crop is also flat. There are no returns for this rabi season and no hope for these tribals. Unless the government gives them some assistance, it will be difficult for them to stay afloat.”

Moreover, the paddy yields seeds for the next sowing, but the damaged crop this year won’t. Hence, for the next season, farmers will have to pay more for the seeds as well. These farmers are incapable or unaware of loans from banks. They usually borrow money on interest. “Wehave to repay what we have borrowed. The only way is to work as labourers in other farms or in the city,” said a young farmer.

Frustration, sadness and helplessness is abundant in this belt. They do not have any representation. After the last calamity, when the government announced assistance for farmers, all they could get was Rs200-500 for their small land holdings, which was peanuts compared to the cost of production. This time, too, they are unsure of what little help they will get.


DNA, 25 November, 2010, http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_prithviraj-chavan-should-declare-wet-drought-in-maharashtra-farmers_1471734


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