In Telangana too, Nilam dealt a deadly pre-harvest blow to farmers, especially in Karimnagar district.
Consequently, there were no lights, new clothes or fireworks in the farming families of Kanagarthi in Jammikunta mandal.
With no hope of getting back even their investment, the farmers have found themselves trapped in debts.
Matta Bal Reddy, a farmer who cultivated cotton in his five-acre land at Kanagarthi, is in no mood to sow any seed for the Rabi season due lack of funds.
Cotton yield in his field drastically fell from the usual 15 quintals to just three quintals.
Due to excess water, some of the cotton was even infected with virus.
“I spent Rs 25,000 per acre to cultivate cotton and even went to Maharashtra to procure the seeds. Because of lack of rains initially, I sowed the seeds for a second time, spending extra money. Despite this, I could not get any yield because Nilam hit during the harvest time,” Bal Reddy lamented.
He is all at sea as to how he would repay the loans that he procured. He was granted credit worth Rs 1 lakh from a Primary Agriculture Cooperative Society at Illandakunta and had borrowed another Rs 2 lakh from private money lenders.
Both financial lenders are now harassing him to repay the amount.
With huge debts already in hand, no one is willing to lend Bal Reddy another paisa, due to which he is unable to raise another crop. This is not Bal Reddy’s worry alone.
Several farmers expound such woeful tales in the district. About 60 per cent of crops were damaged in 3,000 hectares due to Nilam.
Agriculture and revenue authorities visited the village, assessed the crop damage and prepared preliminary reports. But the questions as to when they would send it to the government and when the government would release the input subsidy still remains unanswered.