Raiganj, May 25: Farmers of boro paddy have suffered extensive losses following the loo-like condition that prevailed in the district in early April.
That the crops were afflicted with patan or chaffy grain disease, came to the fore during winnowing. Farmers of North Dinajpur fear that the amount they had invested in paddy will not be realised this time.
District magistrate Manish Jain said he has sought a detailed report from the district agricultural officer. Agriculture department sources, however, claimed they were not responsible for the crop loss.
According to the agriculture department, seeds of ID-4094 variety had been sown in the district in early January, on nearly 39, 000 hectares.
Cultivation of this variety of paddy gives a yield of approximately 900 kg to 1000 kg for each bigha. The production suffered due to the adverse weather, agriculture department officials said.
Monmohun Roy of Maraikura village in Raiganj block had sown the ID 4094 variety on his three-bigha plot. He had used adequate fertilisers and water. The crop looked healthy initially.
“After the harvest, when I sent it for winnowing, I found to my dismay that most of the paddy did not flower. At the most, the yield will be between 300 kg to 400 kg. I wonder how I shall repay the loan,” said Roy.
Akalu Barman of the adjacent Bahin village curses his luck. He had spent nearly Rs 2,500 to grow paddy on his one-bigha land. But the patan has caused extensive damage to the crop. Barman is planning to cultivate summer vegetables to make up for the loss.
The district magistrate said he was awaiting a report from the agriculture department after which he would decide on the compensation.
According to principal agriculture officer Wali-Ul-Islam, patan is not caused by insects but adverse weather.
“Since a loo-like wind swept through the district in early April when the paddy was in the flowering stage, the crop suffered heavily. The extent of the damage is yet to be assessed. I will send a report to the district magistrate’s office at the earliest,” Islam said.
