Farmers worried as crop losses mount
ROHTAK/ BHIWANI: Pale and lodged crop in place of yellow mustard is a grim reminder of the untimely rain and hailstorm that hit the region on Friday and Saturday. Some crops that were to be harvested in another couple of weeks have been laid flat. Also flattened are the hopes of farmers, who can just console each other and wait for the government to offer some relief.
Hundreds of villages in Rohtak, Bhiwani and Jhajjar districts bore the ire of nature in the form of ice pellets. Some say they haven’t witnessed this much destruction in the past 40 years. The incessant rains and strong winds robbed the mustard crop of its tiny bright yellow flowers while flattening the wheat crop. The water collected in the fields also ruined vegetable crops like potato, onion and cauliflower.
“We had just started reaping potato when ice pellets hit out fields. We thought it would stop soon, but it continued for an hour for four times. My oneacre field would have given me more than 40 quintal of yield, but now there’s no point in reaping the crop, as it’s all ruined,” said Deepak Khatri, a farmer in Ismaila village.
Ram Chander, a Dalit farmer who had taken two acres of land on contract for ` 25,000 a year, is left with just 10% of his wheat ctop. “90% of the wheat crop has been flattened. I’m dreading the next three days as the crop hit by ice pellets will turn dry and give no yield,” said the farmer, crying for government help.
Rohtak deputy director of agriculture Madan Mohan said: “Farmers should try to make a passage in their fields to avoid any collection of water. What has happened is very unfortunate and the government will soon start its survey.”
In Loharu town of Bhiwani district, the condition is so bad that the sub-divisional magistrate had already conducted inspections. Farmers are worried as they hear that coming days might get even tougher.
“I had sown wheat, barley, onion and cauliflower on my fields spread over eight acre. 70% of the wheat crop has been flattened,” said Natwar Singh of Dhigawa village in Bhiwani.