JOIN US Gulbarga, the 'Tur Bowl of Karnataka', is facing distress again and flood will have a cascading effect on the agro economy. It is feared that the total production of tur this season may be around 25 per cent of the normal output.
This is expected to further push the already soaring prices higher.
Tur dal is already being sold at Rs 80 per kg and it may touch Rs 100 per kg in its own bowl in the aftermath of the tur harvest in December-January.
The kharif crops, mainly sunflower, jowar and Bengal Gram, which have been sown in early September, are likely to be affected severely due to excessive moisture.
Thousands of acres of land were under water across the district, particularly in the taluks of Surapur, Shahapur, Yadgir, Jewargi, and Sedam.
Though the survey on the estimation of loss of crops is yet to begin, the preliminary reports suggest that standing crops in an area of not less than 50,000 hactares must have been either washed away or remained beyond redemption.
It is not only the loss of standing crops due to floods and water logging for several days but also the huge investment made by farmers through borrowing for seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, and other inputs including manual labour are at stake.