THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Biju P from Anacode in Poovachal panchayat had invested more than `10 lakh to cultivate paddy on his one acre land. However, he had to helplessly watch his crops get destroyed in the recent summer rain. “I have been cultivating paddy for the past two years. Earlier, I used to plant only vegetables. Last year, rainwater entered my fields, destroying crops. This year too, I have incurred a huge loss. My field is now completely submerged,” said Biju, who has been into farming since 30 years.
According to sources, Anacode village has an agricultural heritage dating back decades and is said to have contributed the majority of the paddy cultivated in Thiruvananthapuram. However, the farm lands deteriorated due to lack of proper guidance and care. After a gap of 23 years, paddy cultivation was relaunched in the village with the support of NANMA (Nature Affectionate Noblest Movement and Association). But climate change foiled their dreams.
Like Biju, three farmers who cultivated paddy lost everything in the recent rains. “Due to change in weather conditions, the crops are getting damaged. Unless the height of the bunds is raised, rainwater will enter the fields. We are looking for a solution to this problem and have raised the issue before the authorities concerned. However, no permanent solution has been devised till now,” says Biju.
The farmers were eyeing an increase in demand for the vegetables and other crops this Vishu to make profits. Kumar, another farmer who had cultivated vegetables for Vishu in his 70 cents of land, lost everything in the rain. Poovachal panchayat president T Sanalkumar said,
“In Anacode, the rain affected paddy crops more than vegetable cultivation. Agricultural officers visited the fields to estimate the losses. Currently, hardly seven farmers are engaged in paddy cultivation. Unless we raise the height of the bund and widen the drainage, water will enter the fields.”
However, Thiruvananthapuram Principal Agricultural Officer K M Raju said, “Compared to other districts, the heavy rain did not cause much crop loss in the capital. On April 11, the estimated crop damage was `1.07 crore. The worst affected was the banana plantation. The agricultural officers are already trying to estimate further losses incurred by farmers.”