Kerala - Alappuzha   

Lack of harvesters to hit paddy seed crop

ALAPPUZHA: The damage caused by summer rains in Alappuzha might not be confined to a shortage in rice stocks and financial losses to farmers. The impact, if the situation in the State Seed Farm at Veeyapuram, near Haripad, is any indication, might be felt severely for the ‘virippu’ or first round of cultivation that begins around April.

The paddy crop at the 19.72 hectare-Seed Farm, which has to be processed into seeds and supplied to farmers directly via the Seed Development Authority (SDA), is facing the danger of being lost with 95 per cent of crop yet to be harvested.

The villain in this case, as has been the case in the rest of the district, is non-availability of combine harvesters and labourers.

According to Seed Farm authorities, paddy in 45 acres out of the total cultivated area of 48.7 acres is yet to be harvested despite the crop being 25 days past the harvest date. Though arrangements for harvesting were made by calling for tenders and awarding the contract on March 17, there was a major setback when the person who took the contract committed suicide.

Back at the Seed Farm, Farm Officer Tony Joseph has been unable to arrange a combine harvester. “The crop survived so long after being submerged in rainwater just because of the seed quality. The seed used here was Uma variety, which has a dormancy period of one month. We have five days left and if we are not able to harvest it by then, the consequences will be far-reaching,” says Mr. Joseph.

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