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Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi

Udupi, Oct 26: Unseasonal and relentless rainfall has thrown paddy farmers in Udupi district into distress, halting harvesting operations and sparking fears of massive crop losses across several parts of the region.

Farmers say rice mills are refusing to buy wet paddy as fields remain waterlogged, while harvesting machinery lies idle amid rising operational costs.

Harvesting had begun only recently when the district started experiencing daily spells of rain. Farmers noted that, in previous years, showers around Deepavali would last only a day or two. This year, however, the rain has continued well after the festival, leaving fields drenched and harvesting work paralysed.

“Every year fewer people take up paddy cultivation,” lamented local growers. “Now, even those of us who continue farming are finding it hard to recover what we’ve invested. After all the hard work, it feels as if the food never reaches our mouths,” growers say.

A few weeks ago, harvesting machines had arrived in Udupi from Tamil Nadu, Gangavati, and Haveri to assist with large-scale harvesting. Although operations began smoothly, persistent downpours for more than a week have forced machinery to stop.

“The harvesters have been standing idle for days,” said paddy farmer Suresh. “If this continues, the rental costs will rise and add to our financial burden.”

In several low-lying areas, continuous rainfall has caused paddy stalks to bend and lodge in the soil, making machine harvesting difficult. Farmers said the falling grains are reducing yields drastically.

“Nearly 30% of the crop harvested so far has already been damaged by the rain,” said Kudi Srinivas Bhat, general secretary of the Udupi District Farmers’ Association. “If the downpour continues for another week, we could be looking at losses of up to 50%.”

He added that many farmers had deliberately waited until after Deepavali to start harvesting, expecting dry weather. “Now they’re caught completely off guard. To make matters worse, rice mills lack sufficient drying facilities. Even farmers who’ve managed to harvest are unable to sell because mills are refusing to buy wet paddy,” Bhat explained.

With forecasts predicting more rain in the coming days, anxiety among Udupi’s paddy farmers continues to grow. If the weather fails to clear soon, the district may face one of its worst seasonal setbacks in recent years — a devastating blow to an already struggling agricultural sector.

Since the Navaratri festival, the district has been receiving rain almost every alternate day, and heavy showers continued even during the Deepavali celebrations. This year, however, the district has been witnessing relentless downpours, and weather forecasts indicate that rain is likely to continue for another three to four days.

The incessant rain over the past week has caused significant damage to paddy crops that were ready for harvest. Farmers who were expecting a good yield are now facing disappointment, as October draws to a close with no sign of the rain stopping.

Farmers who sowed paddy in June are now suffering heavy losses. Though occasional sunshine during the day offers a moment of relief, it is short-lived as heavy rains return by evening. Strong winds bend the crops to the ground, and waterlogged fields further damage the paddy, worsening the farmers’ plight.

Assistant director of agriculture Udupi district stated, “In Udupi district paddy was cultivated over an area of about 30,582 hectares. While 34.7 hectares of paddy crops were damaged due to flooding in June, the recent heavy rains have caused further damage to the standing crops.”