THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The rain and heavy winds last week in Chenkal uprooted over 3,000 banana plants harshly affecting the small-time farmers here. Arayoor, Keezhkolla and Melammagam are the places in Chenkal where the farmers suffered huge losses. In Chenkal panchayat alone, banana is cultivated on about 200 hectares. Farmers use the she-oak trees and ropes to support the plants such that only strong wind and intense water flow can uproot them. And it did.
Santha, a homemaker lost 450 banana plants last week. Her husband Raju who was doing the farming is recovering from a surgery and farming is the only means of livelihood for this family. They have faced the biggest loss this time around, which they could only watch helplessly.
“I have cultivated banana at a few places across the panchayat. Thankfully, only one of the regions was affected. I lost around 100 plants. I have borrowed money from many places to do the planting, hoping to cover up the loss faced last year. Last year also, close to Onam, we suffered huge losses and, I have debts now. We are waiting with bated breath for the monsoon to pass without much destruction,” said another Chenkal farmer.
A Chenkal agriculture officer said that people here had a lucky miss this year. “The gravity of destruction this time around is less compared to the past years. They all have insurance of `300 per banana plant. Though it will not completely make up for the destruction, we can only be thankful that the danger has passed for now. As Onam nears, they still have hope of benefitting from the surviving crops,” he said.