A damaged banana field at Naugachia in Bhagalpur. Picture by Amit Kumar

Bhagalpur, April 13: Frequent rain and hailstorms in the past one month have destroyed the banana cultivation in Naugauchia sub-division and damaged rabi crops like wheat and maize in the eastern parts of the state and Kosi region. The hailstorm on April 4 also killed eight people and dozens of cattle in the region.

The rain in the Naugachia sub-division on March 28, March 30 and on April 3 and the hailstorm on April 4 have dealt a severe blow to the cultivators in the region by destroying their crops.

The sub-division, reputed for its good variety of banana, commands a great demand in the market of other states. Rovosta, Malbhog, Dudhia and Singapuri varieties of banana are also produced here and places like Kharik, Bihpur, Naugachia, Rangra, Gopalpur have the capacity to produce banana in abundance because of the fertility of the soil.

“First, the storm damaged the standing banana plants before the rains and the hailstorm destroyed whatever was left,” said Sanjeev Singh, a banana cultivator at Naugachia. According to estimates, over 30 per cent of the standing banana plants have been destroyed, which dealt a loss of more than Rs 10 crore to the banana farmers.

Alok Kumar, a banana cultivator at Gopalpur, said: “The surviving plants would not be able to produce fruits properly. Thus, we will have a low yield this year.” According to banana cultivators, the natural calamity would delay the production of the crop. “We are expecting the crop in June-July but now the crop would be prepared after August,” said Gopal Kumar, another farmer of Rangra hamlet.

He said: “During June-July, there is a great demand for banana in the markets and purchasers from different parts of the country make a beeline to these places.”

Chandan Kumar, another farmer of Madrauni hamlet, said: “During June-July, we will have to face a huge loss.”

Agriculture scientists here expressed their concern over the untimely rain and storms. S.N. Singh, a scientist at Bihar Agriculture University, Sabour, said: “The sudden change in climatic conditions have its adverse effect on banana production. After these rain and storms if the temperature rises, it would help an insect called banana bibil to grow, which would damage the new flowers as well as the banana plants.” The rain has also adversely affected the standing rabi crops.

Suresh Kumar, another farmer of Madhepura said. “We have harvested wheat and maize and more than 50 per cent of them were in the process for extracting food grain. The rain and hailstorms have now damaged the harvested crops.”

Reports coming from other eastern Bihar districts with Kosi region also confirmed huge damage of wheat and maize crops because of the rain and hailstorms. Mirzanual Hque, a scientist and also an expert of wheat at BAU, Sabour said this time a bumper rabi crop was expected but the sudden change in the climate has changed the scenario. BAU scientists claim the rain and hailstorms affected the flowering mango and litchi tress in the entire region.