Paddy ripens but soggy fields put hurdle in harvest work
Farmers stare at sharp dip in output
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 28 2024: Farmers this year may see a drastic decrease in the paddy yield and incur more expenditure during harvesting, experts said, speaking to this paper.

When Manipur has been reeling under a violent conflict between communities since last year, the State faced floods thrice this year.

Affected by the floods, hectares of agricultural fields--still under the water--have been abandoned.

With persistent rainfall even during the month of October, hundreds of hectares of fields in most parts of the valley are still waterlogged or soggy--conditions not favourable for harvesting.

Paddy ripens but soggy fields put hurdle in harvest work

The paddy crops are ripening, but the fields are waterlogged and soggy, and this has forced farmers to haplessly wait for the fields to dry out or at least become somewhat favourable for beginning harvesting.

COCOMI's Farmers Wing convenor and president of Manipur Progressive Farmers' Association, Konthoujam Thoiba said the farmers are facing a serious dilemma this harvest season.

Farmers may expect a drastic reduction in the paddy yield this year, and they may have to spend more money on harvesting than they did in previous years, he said.

Harvesting machines, on which farmers have become increasingly dependent on since the last few years, are unable to enter the fields due to waterlogged and soggy soil, he said.

The farmers now have to engage extra labourers during harvesting and do the work manually.

This will cost them more, he said.

Explaining, he said that harvesting has two parts--Lou Khaoba (cutting the paddy stalks) and Lou Yeiba (beating the stalks to detach the paddy) .

Cutting the standing paddy stalks using machines costs a farmer Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,000 per Sangam of field.

The second and final part of the harvesting--Lou Yeiba (detaching paddy from the stalks) using machinery cost farmers Rs 2,300 per Sangam and an additional transportation charge of Rs 1000 .

So, the total expenditure to be incurred by a farmer when using machines is around Rs 5,300 .

In case a farmer is forced to do the harvesting manually due to inundation and soggy soil, it may cost him around Rs 10,000 .

There is already a shortage of labourers skilled in harvesting, and this may hike the amount they charge.

Cutting the paddy stalks manually will cost a farmer between Rs 4,500 and Rs 5,000 per Sangam provided the charge per labourer is Rs 500 .

Further, the second part, Lou Yeiba will cost him Rs 5,000, provided he employs 10 labourers and the charge per person is Rs 500 .

So, farmers may incur extra expenditure this season depending on the conditions of the fields and weather, said the president of the farmers' association.

Meanwhile, Irabot Foundation Manipur president Kh Gopen also echoed the same concern and said that the paddy yield this year may see a dip.

When floods, rainfalls have a serious impact on the agriculture sector, the State is losing vast tracts of arable land to private businesses, he said.

Due to extreme weather conditions and unpredictable losses incurred year after year, a lot of farmers have sold arable land to wealthy individuals who have converted these agricultural land to industrial and business estate, he said.

As farmers become more and more dependent on machinery, "we aren't using our traditional agricultural practices," he added.

Thangol, Humai, Phouendok, Phak etc which were traditionally used in harvesting are no longer in use, he said.