If not even a drop of rain fell, the plow was not plowed due to fear of crop failure. Concept Photo
Communication partner, Ranikhet. Due to the drought in the Rabi season on hill farming, which is facing all-round challenges, despair has started increasing among the farmers. Since 90 percent of agriculture in the mountains is dependent on rain, plows have not been used in crop producing areas. In Almora district alone, crops like wheat, barley, mustard etc. were not sown in four to five thousand hectares of fields. If departmental sources are to be believed, the situation is similar in other districts too, where crop loss of 10 to 15 percent due to lack of sowing will make the productivity figures disappointing.
There are a total of 1.06 farmers registered i.e. pensioners in Almora district. The Rabi area here is about 21 thousand hectares. Wheat has been sown in 10 thousand hectares. The area of barley is 2800, lentils 1000, other pulses 1050, oilseeds 2000 and the area of mustard and Lahi is about 1500. But in agricultural development blocks like Lamgada, Tadikhet, Dwarahat etc., farmers on a large scale have left their fields barren due to lack of timely rainfall. More or less the situation is the same in other block areas and districts also.
Additional loss due to not taking insurance
The inclination towards crop insurance is decreasing among the hill farmers surrounded by difficult farming and challenges. In Almora district, more than 40 thousand farmers have not taken insurance. According to sources, in this situation such farmers may be deprived of compensation for crop damage.
Where, how much area (approximately in hectares)
'There is no data on how many farmers have not sown the Rabi crop, but wheat has been sown only in 10 thousand hectares. Other crops have also been sown in the remaining 11 thousand hectares but the area is decreasing. A large number of farmers have not taken crop insurance. They may suffer loss. - Anand Goswami, Chief Agriculture Officer, Almora.
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