Continuous rainfall for the past few days has affected harvesting of agriculture produce like vegetables, paddy and maize in Alipurduar district, leading to farmers suffering huge losses, officials have said.
Though the rains have not damaged the crop in the fields, farmers been able to harvest them timely, it is learnt.
“Farmers are also not getting compensation from the government as well as from the insurance companies, as the crop is standing well in the fields,” a source at the agriculture department said.
The Deputy Director of Alipurduar district agriculture department, Harish Chandra Roy and other agriculture department officials very recently visited some agricultural fields in Falakata in Alipurduar district.
“The crops are standing well in the fields, but farmers are not able to harvest them timely because of the continuous rainfall. The crop may, however, be damaged due to the protracted damp weather conditions and insects may attack the crop. Farmers have landed in trouble,” said the Deputy Director at the Alipurduar agriculture department, Harish Chandra Roy.
“I, along with some other officers, visited some areas in the district. Farmers are facing losses due to this weather condition. This weather condition has happened due to the super cyclone Amphan that hit south Bengal,” he added.
Sources say that maize is cultivated in around 18,000 hectares of land in Alipurduar district, and that five tons of maize is produced in one hectare. “Farmers who have cultivated maize are facing huge losses due to the continuous rainfall lashing the district in the past many days,” a source said.