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PIC: PADDY
CAPTION
MARGAO
Standing paddy crop, vegetables, including lady finger, brinjals, cluster beans, besides banana plantations have all faced the brunt of the cyclone Tauktae in Salcete as hectares of crops under cultivation have been left damaged and destroyed across the taluka on Sunday.
So far, around 60 farmers have been badly hit by the destruction wrought by Cyclone Tauktae and the figure is set to rise further with agricultural officials still trying to reach to farmers because of communication issues.
If the preliminary estimate prepared by the Salcete Zone Agriculture Office, headed by Sheriff Furtado is any indication, around 22 hectares of standing paddy, 16 hectares of vegetables and 5-6 hectares of plantations have been badly affected in the cyclonic storm.
Preliminary estimates prepared by the Zonal Agriculture office have pegged the losses to around Rs 16 lakhs.
Standing paddy has been affected mostly in the villages of Chandor, Paroda and Macazana, where farmers had cultivated paddy and were bracing up for harvesting. At Verna, paddy in land admeasuring 3000 square meters is standing in water logged area, with the farmer deciding to immediately go for the harvesting.
Margao ZAO Sheriff Furtado informed that most of the paddy that has been hit by the strong cyclonic winds that lashed is spread across the village of Chandor, Paroda and Macazana. “We are still in the process of contacting farmers in other villages as well, but the disruption in the communication system has affected contacts with the village farmers”, he said.
Vegetable growers too faced the brunt of the cyclonic winds. Vegetable cultivation in the villages of Raia, Curtorim, Davorlim and Dicarpale have suffered major destruction.
In Raia, vegetables, including sweet potatoes, which were about to be harvested have been destroyed in the winds and rains. “Normally, farmers used to harvest he sweet potatoes around this time. Just when they were bracing up to harvest the sweet potato, cyclone Tauktae has devastated these farmers, sources said.
ZAO Furtado pointed out that Banana plantation admeasuring around 5-6 hectares has been destroyed in the villages of Davorlim, Dicarpale and Curtorim. Watermelon cultivation at Betalbatim has also been destroyed in the cyclone
Agriculture department officials are still on the job to assess the damage and losses caused to the crops. “What we have prepared is a preliminary estimate compiled by our officials. Some of the farmers cannot be contacted as the cyclone has damaged the communication lines since Sunday”, officials said.
