Rain havoc
Vijayapura
Due to heavy rains across Talikote taluk, farmers are facing difficulties in harvesting their crops. It has become difficult to even get half of the harvest, the farmers are saying.
Most of the fields here are rice fields. The cotton has been damaged by the falling of the cotton stalks. The cotton is suffering from copper blight and stem borer. Due to the increased humidity and cloudy weather, the cotton flowers are falling off without taking hold. The white cotton has become soaked in the rain and turned black. The washed cotton is also wet, making it a challenge to dry it. The sunflower crop has failed.
They have taken loans for sowing, fertilizer, garbage removal, weeding, and spraying pesticides. They have already been sprayed five or six times, and there is no money to spray again. Most farmers are complaining that they do not have money even for the Dasara festival.
“If the government does not waste time and provides compensation, farmers can sow even if they are growing winter wheat. The demand for chickpeas has increased. Even though they offer ₹10,000, safflower seeds are not available. Even though they searched at the Dharwad Agricultural Fair, the seeds were not available,” said farmer Veeresh Kori.
Farmers Amareshappa Kori, Sambhaji Disale, Kumaragouda Patil, and Nanagouda Patil demanded that the corn, chickpeas, safflower, and wheat required for sowing of Hingaru should be made available at the local farmer contact center as per the farmers’ needs.
The use of drones for crop damage surveys is welcome. However, crops have been damaged due to rains across the state, and there is a possibility of high costs for the use and maintenance of drones. “The money spent on it should be distributed as additional compensation to the farmers,” said Ramanagara Biradar.
