Heavy rains damage standing soybean crops in Nirmal

Nirmal: Soybeans farmers in the district have been suffering losses due heavy rains lashing the district for many days.

The harvesting machines aren't working in the wet fields. In an attempt to harvest the standing crop, farmers are turning to chain equipment machines and farm laborers. As a result, farmers now have to shoulder additional financial burden. In the Nirmal district, soybean was grown on 65,000 acres this year. The crop of 25,000 acres has been harvested so far and remaining crop of 25, 000 acres yet to be harvested.

Soybean farmers usually harvest with harvester machines. Due to bad weather condition, some middlemen hired chain machines from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka states to run it on rent. A normal harvester charges Rs 2,000 per hour while the chain machines are charging up to Rs 3,000 per hour. It takes two hours to harvest an acre. This is putting additional burden on the farmers. "If we harvest after the rain subsides, it does not appear that the crop will stand till then. Farmers are afraid that the rains will wash the ground. Under mandatory conditions, the crop is harvested and transported to other places to dry it.

On the other hand, the farmers who have harvest the crop are facing difficulty in drying the wet crops.

The tarpaulins laid at the bottom to dry the crop are wet and the water is seeping into the pile of soybeans. This is changing the color of soybeans. Farmers are worried that seeds will sprout.

A farmer Rajaiah of Ilegam village of Bhainsa mandal speaking to The Hans India said, "we are suffering due to unpredictable weather conditions, till then it was sunny and within minutes the weather changing and it is raining." "The farmers are unable to understand what the weather will be like and they are forced to harvest their produce. And some farmers who harvested the crop and drying it on roads have to wait all the day to protect soybean from sudden rains," he said.