HOPES WASHED AWAY: Paddy crops lie flattened and damaged in Aldona following unseasonal rains, casting a pall of gloom over the farming community.
MAPUSA
Unseasonal and persistent rains in Bardez taluka have dealt a severe blow to paddy farmers, just as their fields were ready for harvest. With crops flattened and fields submerged, harvesting operations have ground to a halt, leaving farmers anxious about mounting losses.
The October spell of rain – unexpected after the formal withdrawal of the monsoon – has caused widespread waterlogging across the Bardez countryside. As a result, harvesting machinery has become nearly impossible to operate, forcing farmers to watch helplessly as ripe paddy lies in standing water.
“The sudden rainfall has destroyed not just my crop but those of many other farmers as well. We had good rains during the season and were expecting a healthy yield, but these unexpected late rains have washed away all our hard work,” said Sushant Salgaonkar, a farmer from Cunchelim, Mapusa.
Farmers in several villages – including Moira, Aldona, Siolim (Marna and Oxel), Anjuna, Revora, Camurlim, Ucassaim, Guirim, Sangolda and other villages – have reported similar scenes of inundated fields and fallen stalks.
The situation, they say, is particularly frustrating after a promising kharif season that had raised hopes of a bumper yield.
According to Uma Joshi, Zonal Agriculture Officer for Bardez, the department has already received around 30 applications for crop loss compensation and the number is expected to rise if the rain persists.
“We have processed a few of the applications and others are under review. Our officers are conducting site inspections to assess the extent of damage,” Joshi told The Goan.
While about 30 percent of the paddy in Bardez has already been harvested, the remainder remains vulnerable to sprouting and fungal damage. Farmers also report difficulties in accessing harvesting machinery, as equipment operators struggle to navigate through flooded terrain.
Another farmer from Aldona, Babani Redkar, lamented: “This year, the crop had come up really well, but just when it was time to harvest, these unseasonal rains played spoilsport. All our hard work has gone to waste.”
Agricultural officers have advised farmers to drain out water wherever possible and avoid delay once the weather clears.
However, with the erratic rain showing no sign of easing, farmers fear that the losses this season could undo much of the recovery seen in Bardez’s traditional rice belts after years of steady revival in cultivation.
