50 per cent crop damage likely in Ganjam

BERHAMPUR: Continuous rain for the last three days is likely to damage around 50 per cent of kharif paddy crop in Ganjam district.

Farmers, who were hoping for a bumper harvest, now apprehend huge yield loss as their crops are soaking in rainwater. The worst-hit by the untimely rain are sharecroppers who are neither officially counted as farmers nor eligible for crop insurance.

Sources said most of the sharecroppers and small farmers had cultivated paddy by taking hand loans. They had hoped to repay the loans after harvesting their crops. However, the rain has dashed all their hopes.

After the rains last week, many farmers had left their harvested paddy to dry in the fields. But the fresh spell of rain has inundated crop fields and the harvested paddy is under water. This will lead to discolouration of paddy. Besides, a sizable quantity of paddy will germinate, said a farmer.