Rains may play spoilsport for paddy harvesting in DK

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Nov 11, 2015: Normal to heavy rain, though intermittent, across Dakshina Kannada has kept paddy farmers a worried lot as it is likely to destroy the standing crops as well as affect the harvesting process.

Paddy growers in the district harvest the crop in October and November. This time, sowing and harvesting were delayed due to a delayed monsoon.

Rajesh Shetty, a paddy grower on the periphery of Mangaluru said, he would wait for a couple of days before proceeding with harvesting the standing crop.

If it pours continuously, there is danger of the grown-up paddy getting destroyed, he said.


Shetty said that some of the growers, who had harvested the crop and left it in the field for drying, have been affected by the rain.

Since it rains during the evenings, farmers are forced to wind up harvesting by afternoon and shift the hay immediately to their courtyards, Mr. Shetty said.

Joint Director of Agriculture H. Kempe Gowda told  media that there is no imminent threat to standing paddy crops as of now.

“Only if it rains continuously for days together, there will be a problem for farmers,” he said.

As farmers in the district undertake staggered sowing, starting from June and lasting till August, the entire area under paddy would not come for harvesting at one time. While paddy grown on about 2,000 hectares had already been harvested, another about 2,000 hectares is now ready for harvesting, he said.

As of now, the rains would not impact the paddy output in the district.