As debates continue to rage over the suicide of a paddy farmer in Upper Kuttanad, the incident has brought to light the extend of damage that the unseasonal rain has caused to standing crops in the predominantly agrarian belts of Central Travancore.

With reports of extensive damage to crops continue to pour in from a wide area ranging from the eastern high ranges to the low-lying polders, authorities are finding it hard to assess the actual loss suffered to the sector in a time-bound manner. Jitters about the economic impact of the recurring losses due to unforeseen variations in climate have weighed in heavily on the confidence of farmers as well.

Preliminary estimates by the Agriculture department suggested that paddy cultivation in over 1,071 hectares of area in Kottayam and 795 hectares in Pathanamthitta were destroyed by the heavy rain. The total loss to the farming sector from April 1 to 12 stood around ₹21. 58 crore, while that of Pathanamthittatill April 11 was just ₹1.37 crore.

But with more downpour in the offing and reports of bund breaches coming in from Upper Kuttanad, officials expect the actual volume of loss in Pathanamthitta to become several times higher than that of the initial figures.

“This has been for the second consecutive year that the Punja crop is being washed out in the summer rain. That the rain came at a time when the standing crop was almost set for harvest has added to the loss estimates,‘‘ said a senior official.

Besides paddy, the rain has also spelled doom for the cultivation of vegetables and rubber across a wide-area along the high-ranges.

In the event of loss to paddy due to natural calamities, the farmers are eligible for a compensation of ₹35,000 a hectare along with an additional compensation of ₹13,500. The authorities, however, acknowledge that the amount is hardly sufficient to cover even a part of the expenditure incurred.

“For instance, Rajeev, the deceased farmer, received just ₹4,200 as his dues when the farmer collective comprising him had applied for compensation under the Crop Insurance Scheme for the loss of paddy in the previous summer. This happens when the compensations are calculated without taking into consideration the micro-level aspects,” said another official

The farmers were counting on a bumper crop this time when the tractors began moving in their fields after an extended phase of monsoon last year. But the summer rain has dashed their hopes.

Source - https://www.thehindu.com