Farmers whose crops had been affected because of the untimely rainfall are now pulling their socks up to recover from the losses.
As moisture seeped in the fields spread across 600 hectares, farmers are unable to even fetch the support price for their produce, let alone sell them at market price. In comparison to paddy, maize fields have suffered greater damage due to the showers, confirmed preliminary investigations and block reports.
According to the agriculture department, maize suffered a loss of 15-20 percent whereas 5 to 10 percent of the paddy was ruined. The most severely affected areas are from Bastar, Bakawand and Jagdalpur. To restrict the loss, farmers are draining the fields and leaving the crops for drying.
“We are worried as our produce has reduced this year. The chances of loss are greater this season,” said Chaituram, Tula and Somnath, farmers in Bastar district.