Bhatkuli farmers rush to harvest soybean as return rain looms ahead of Dussehra and Diwali

With Dussehra and Diwali near, farmers in Bhatkuli taluka of Amravati district are facing the threat of rain. As conditions for return monsoon showers build, soybean harvesting in the taluka has picked up pace and farmers are rushing to finish. Fearing that cut crop could spoil in the field, farmers have been reaching their fields from early morning.

Soybean covers the largest area in Bhatkuli taluka this kharif season. It has been sown on 22,207 hectares. Cotton has been sown on 19,128 hectares, tur on 9,361 hectares, urad on 75 hectares, other oilseeds on 10 hectares, maize on 7.20 hectares and moong on 2.40 hectares. A large section of the taluka's farmers therefore depend economically on kharif crops, soybean above all.

Harvesting is under way on a large scale in Takarkheda Sambhu, Purnanagar, Ashti, Deori Nipani, Jalka Hirapur, Rama, Saur, Lasanapur, Krishnapur and Kalamgaon. In some places the crop is being cut by labourers and in others by machine. To protect the cut soybean from rain, farmers are moving it straight from the field to their homes or another safe place.

On Tuesday night, clouds hung over some areas and lightning flashed, adding to farmers' worries. Many farmers were already in their fields from Wednesday morning. Everyone was in a rush so that the crop harvested during the day would not be caught in the rain.

This year irregular rainfall and several other factors have hit soybean output. If the remaining crop is also damaged by rain, farmers' financial difficulties could deepen. Farmers fear that if soybean left in the field after harvest gets wet, its quality will suffer and market prices will fall.

One farmer said that farmers today are troubled by one calamity after another, whether natural or man-made. In at least 50 per cent of the area of his village, the crop was lost because of very little rain. Some farmers who sowed soybean in late June are getting a yield of two to three quintals, but it is certain that late-sown soybean will not yield even that much. He said the government should therefore give at least Rs 1 lakh per hectare, based on cost and production, to help farmers prepare for the rabi season.

Another farmer said that because of the constantly changing weather, no one in his Kharpan patta got even a single grain of soybean this year. Soybean production has fallen sharply and the government has invoked Trigger One, yet no farmer has so far received compensation. With Dussehra imminent and Diwali too, the hope is that farmers get concrete help before the festivals.

Farming families face financial distress at Dussehra and Diwali. Farmers want the government not merely to give assurances but to deposit real help into their accounts immediately.