Rain may spoil ragi crop in B'pet

Ragi, the staple food of the people in South Karnataka requires very little water and is cultivated mainly in dry land. It has been sown in 16,400 hectares currently in Bangarpet taluk.

Under pressure

The farmers were continuously under pressure right from the sowing period.

First, the scanty rainfall in the region forced the farmers to delay sowing. Though copious rain later compensated the early loss, during the later stage, the rain once again seemed to be elusive. However, even this fear was laid to rest with good rainfall.

But the downpour doesn’t seem to stop and now once again the farmers are worrying as excessive rains have ruined ragi crop elsewhere in State.

Unfavourable weather

The fear of rain fury is now haunting the farmers of the region. Even if there are no rains, the damp weather will lead to the rotting of ragi crop.

Farmers in Bangarpet taluk said that the crop in many villages were ripe. But damp weather was not a favourable for harvesting the crop.

They added that in some areas ragi crop started sprouting even before the harvest while those put in fields to dry where rotting due to recent rains.

Crops like potato, tur, horse pea and many others are also facing the same fate.

Some farmers who took clue from the weather minimised their loss by covering their harvested crop with sheets.

However, many farmers who failed to take precautionary steps have already lost their crop to rains.