CUTTACK: Unseasonal rains have come as a double-whammy for farmers of Cuttack district.
Rains since Tuesday have not just affected the harvesting of Kharif paddy but also hit potato cultivation in the district.
Farmers said that ripe paddy crops over 1,06,645 hectares (ha) of land were inundated due to heavy showers that lashed Cuttack district under the influence of the cyclone Jawad from December 3 to 5. Erratic rains continued till December 9.
Farmers had to wait till stormwater was released from their land to harvest the crops. However, they failed to cut the paddy stalks as rains again hit the district from December 27.
“After the condition improved 12 days back, we began recovering our paddy crop. But the process has been stalled again due to the fresh unseasonal rains. We cannot hope for any income from the crops now”, said Ramesh Rout, a farmer of Kisilo village under Bandhakatia gram panchayat in Nischintakoili block.
The unseasonal rain and delay in Kharif harvesting have also hampered potato cultivation. Usually, farmers take up potato cultivation in the same land after harvesting the Kharif paddy crop.