Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Oct 18: Farmers in the coastal region of Mangaluru are increasingly alarmed as relentless rains threaten their paddy harvest. With crops ready for collection, the ongoing downpour is preventing them from harvesting, risking significant losses.

After enduring severe rainfall in July that rotted many saplings, farmers now face the dual challenge of inaccessible fields and rapidly decomposing hay.

In Panja near Pakshikere, where many planted their saplings in June, one farmer with five acres of ready paddy is left waiting for a break in the weather.

Compounding their troubles, paddy prices have also dropped. Rice mill owners are currently offering Rs 21 to 23 per kilo, down from Rs 25 last year, citing an influx of rice from north Karnataka.

Farmer Satish Shetty Bailaguthu expressed urgent concerns, stating, “We are worried on both ends due to rain and reduced price for paddy. The government should give attention to our issues.”