Heavy summer showers wreaks havoc in farm sector
Heavy summer showers lashing Kerala in the last three days have wreaked havoc in the state's 'rice bowl' Kuttanad in central Travancore area where vast stretches of matured paddy has been destroyed.
By PTI |
ALAPPUZHA (KERELA): Heavy summer showers lashing Kerala in the last three days have wreaked havoc in the state's 'rice bowl' Kuttanad in central Travancore area where vast stretches of matured paddy has been destroyed.
Besides the unseasonal rains, resistance by unions of farm workers to the use of harvesting machines have added to the woes of paddy growers, who were expecting a bumper crop this season.
According to farming circles in Kuttanad, standing crop at about 10,000 hectares of land was in danger due to flooding of the area.
Also, huge quantities of harvested bunches had piled up as farmers find it difficult to start next stage of processing like threshing and winnowing due to hostile weather.
There have been complaints by locals that the opposition to the use of machine by pro-CPI(M) farm workers union had resulted in delay in harvesting.
Denying the charge, the union leaders said they were not totally opposed to mechanisation but only insisting that machines should not completely replace manual labourers.
The Government had asked the district administration to assess the situation and suggest steps to be taken to help farmers, official sources said.
According to Indian Meteorological Department, the current spell triggered by a trough of low pressure in both the Bay and Arabian Sea is expected to continue for the next two days
Besides the unseasonal rains, resistance by unions of farm workers to the use of harvesting machines have added to the woes of paddy growers, who were expecting a bumper crop this season.
According to farming circles in Kuttanad, standing crop at about 10,000 hectares of land was in danger due to flooding of the area.
Also, huge quantities of harvested bunches had piled up as farmers find it difficult to start next stage of processing like threshing and winnowing due to hostile weather.
There have been complaints by locals that the opposition to the use of machine by pro-CPI(M) farm workers union had resulted in delay in harvesting.
Denying the charge, the union leaders said they were not totally opposed to mechanisation but only insisting that machines should not completely replace manual labourers.
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The Government had asked the district administration to assess the situation and suggest steps to be taken to help farmers, official sources said.
According to Indian Meteorological Department, the current spell triggered by a trough of low pressure in both the Bay and Arabian Sea is expected to continue for the next two days
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