Farmers torn between opposing wants from nature

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 5 APRIL: Wheat and paddy famers in Malda are torn between opposing interest of the two groups. While wheat growers want the ongoing dry spell to continue further, paddy growers are literally praying for the rains.

It is so because the wheat growers have not been able to reap the grain so far. A shower at this point in time would dampen the standing crop and subject them to incalculable loss.

The reverse is true for the paddy farmers. The paddy shoots are wilting under a scorching sun and unless rain comes soon and in plenty, they stand to lost their crop.

Malda district has experienced at least a 15 percent increase in wheat production as compared to last year’s produce but the growers have not been able to harvest the major portion of the crop due to shortage of labour.

According to the deputy director of agriculture department in Malda, Mr Satinath Palit, more than 20 per cent ripe wheat still stands in the fields. “The labourers, who generally participate in harvesting the grain, also work as migrant labourers in other states. They have not returned so far, which is why the wheat is yet to be harvested. If it rains now, the standing ripe wheat would simply rot in the fields”, he added. According to the officials, the production of wheat has increased by 15 per cent at least this season.

“The farmers this year got better production of rabi crops including mustard, lentil and potato after many years due to the lengthy winter. The climatic conditions also helped increase the production of vegetables in the district this year”, he claimed.

Conversely, this prolonged chilly weather has affected bodo paddy and the area under bodo paddy is about 20 per cent less this year as compared to previous years.

“Bodo paddy samplings were damaged in the seed beds by the chill. As a result, the area of bodo paddy cultivation has gone down by 20 percent in Malda district this year. The absence of rain and lack of irrigation facilities have also affected bodo cultivation”, Mr Palit said.

Under the circumstances, the wheat and bodo paddy farmers are getting torn between conflicting interests over rain. Besides the bodo paddy growers, mango and jute farmers are also desperate for rain to save their crop. The district has not received rain for the past six months.