Rain-soaked groundnuts dampen hope of farmers  

KENDRAPARA/JEYPORE:  Unseasonal rain for four consecutive days due to western disturbances has dashed the hopes of groundnut growers in Kendrapara district and nearby areas who were expecting a bumper crop this year.

Following rains, large tracts of groundnut crops in the district are lying destroyed. Akshya Jena, a groundnut farmer of Kendrapara said, “We were just 15 to 20 days away from harvesting the crop. The rains have spoiled it all.”

There are many farmers in other areas who have started harvesting the immature groundnut crops fearing more rain coupled with gutsy wind and thunderstorms, said a farmer from Pattamundai Amarbara Das.
Complaints of crop damage have been pouring in from riverside villages of Aul, Mahakalapada, Rajnagar, Marsaghai, Rajkanika and Garadapur blocks of the district. While many farmers expressed concern about returning bank loans they had taken to cultivate the crop, others are worried how to release stagnant water from the fields.  

Farmers’ leader Bijay Parida has demanded a survey of the damage caused to the groundnut crop due to rain and appropriate compensation for affected farmers. Farmers like Parikhita Sahoo from Aul said since their crop remained soaked in water, they apprehend deterioration in quality.   

Additional district magistrate of Kendrapara Pitambar Samal said, “The district administration has directed the chief district agriculture officer to submit a crop loss report in the recent rain. After getting the report, we will provide help to the affected farmers.” 

In Jeypore, life was thrown out of gear owing to heavy rains that lashed many parts of the sub-division on Thursday. Sources said, 60 mm rainfall was recorded on the day.  The sudden downpour affected Jeypore, Kotpad, Kundra, Boipariguda and Borigumma pockets.  While trees got uprooted in rural Jeypore and Kundra, power supply was snapped in both urban and rural pockets.