ROURKELA:Though the low pressure induced rain has not caused much damage to remaining paddy crops in the tribal-dominated Sundargarh district, farmers worried that the shortage of labourers may result in low production.
Incidentally, while the Agriculture Department hopes for bumper paddy harvest, the farmers claim that due to high cost of production, they would not get good return. Sources informed that low pressure induced rain sporadically hit the district, but did not cause damage to standing crops. The department had also issued advisories to the farmers.
Sundargarh Deputy Director of Agriculture (DDA) RN Satpathy said there was no damage to remaining standing crops. Harvest of autumn paddy crop is almost over with hardly 20 per cent remaining to be harvested. This year, the district would end up with bumper paddy production, he added.
However, president of Bonai Krushak Sangh (BKS) Dambrudhar Kishan said the picture is not that rosy for the farmers. Citing his own example, Kishan said after investing hard labour and money, he is not sure of getting adequate return. He claimed that from sowing to final crop cutting, `20,000-`22,000 is required for one acre with the return being 14-17 quintals.
Kishan said if average of 16 quintals per acre production is taken, then a farmer would get `24,800 at Minimum Support Price (MSP) of `1,550 per quintal. The labour cost has gone up with daily labourer getting `210-`230 in MGNREGS and rural construction activities. At least 13 daily labourers are required for crop cutting in one acre and it would take minimum of another `2,700. In absence of cheap labour, many farmers like him are not able to complete crop cutting. In the worst case, they would have to hire costly labour and suffer loss, he added.
But, the DDA begs to differ from Kishan. Satpathy said farming is profitable with involvement of owner farmer, proper care of crops at every stage and effective management. He said in the absence of involvement of owner farmer, the cost of investment goes up and production also comes down.
Marginal farmer kills self
Bargarh: A marginal farmer of Behera village under Bargarh Sadar block committed suicide over crop failure due to pest attack on Monday evening. The deceased farmer has been identified as Pradeep Khamari (27). It is the seventh suicide among farmers in the district in less than a month. Reports said Pradeep was unmarried and owned one acre along with his father Upendra Khamari. Besides, he had taken another half an acre of land on lease and cultivated paddy over it. Villagers said he had availed hand loan and his entire crop was affected by Brown Plant Hopper (BPH). He was sure that they would not get back even a grain and on Monday, he committed suicide by consuming poison, they added. Villagers rushed him to Bargarh DHH where he died while undergoing treatment.