UP farmers staring at heavy losses & uncertain future

Lucknow: With less than normal rains during monsoon and excess rainfall after it, farmers in Uttar Pradesh are staring at heavy losses and an uncertain future.

According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, 67 of the 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh recorded excess rainfall last week (after September 30).

Even as Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to take measures to provide assistance to farmers hit by the adverse weather conditions, many believe the efforts might be too little, too late.

The excess rainfall led to waterlogging in cities and towns across the state but proved worse for farmers in rural pockets. The rains inundated the fields, causing damage to standing paddy, maize and newly cultivated potato crops. Millets like bajra and pulses like Urad have also been affected.

Surendra Pathak, a potato farmer in Etawah, said, "We sow the early potato varieties by the end of September. But this year, around seven hectare of our potato farm has been affected by heavy rains. The fields are filled with water which causes rotting of the sown potato tubers."

Pathak said if excess rains continued, it would prove harder to sow the late variety of potatoes.

Etawah recorded 81 mm of average rainfall in the first week of October which is 876 per cent more than the long period average (LPE) of 8.3 mm.

Gonda district recorded 248.6 mm rainfall in the same period which is 883 per cent higher than the long period average of 25.3 mm. Prabhat Kumar, a marginal farmer, is worried about his paddy crop.

"My standing crop of paddy has fallen to the ground due to heavy rains. I fear that at least half of my crop has been destroyed, and all of it will be lost if the weather doesn't improve in the coming days," he said.

Officials at the district level are conducting surveys on the direction of the state government to assess the damage caused due to heavy rains across Uttar Pradesh.