Jagatsinghpur/Angul/Kalahandi/Boudh: When the MeT Department forecast rainfall across Odisha owing to formation of a low pressure in the Bay of Bengal, it caught the farmers unaware. Hoping to reap a good crop this season, most farmers were just about getting ready for harvest ahead of procurement, when they saw their dreams getting shattered. December, usually a dry month in the state, rained twice in intervals of a week and spelt doom for hundreds of farmers.
Across Odisha, fields once golden with ripened paddy now resemble waterlogged wastelands. Unseasonal rains have wreaked havoc on their lives. “We dreamed of storing food for our families and selling the surplus for basic needs. Now, everything is ruined,” said a distraught farmer from Angul.
In Jagatsinghpur, paddy fields spanning hundreds of hectares lie submerged, with grains sprouting due to prolonged water exposure. Farmers who worked tirelessly through the Kharif season are left helpless, staring at their losses. Jagatsinghpur District Magistrate J. Sonal confirmed extensive damage and assured action, “The state government has been informed, and we will work to assess and address the losses.”
In Angul, the situation is no better. Low-lying areas, home to some of the district’s most vulnerable farmers, have borne the brunt of the rains. Crops have been destroyed, harvested paddy remains inaccessible, and soaked grains are sprouting before they can be salvaged.
“Every grain we saved for our survival is now wasted. Fertilizers and seeds were bought on credit. What do we do now?” questioned a farmer from Angul, his voice breaking with emotion. Thousands of farmers now wait for government assistance, demanding immediate compensation to recover from the devastation.
The plight of farmers in Kalahandi district is compounded by mismanagement at procurement centers. Paddy piled up in mandis has been soaked by incessant rains, threatening further losses. MLA Sagar Charan Das expressed his frustration, alleging that millers and mandi officials are exploiting farmers.
“I have visited the mandis for days, and the situation is dire. Farmers are being cheated with weight deductions of up to 7 kg per quintal. We have called for a bandh in Bhawanipatna on the December 28 to protest these irregularities,” said Das.
Farmers like Kunu Tandi of Dharmagarh narrated their ordeal, “Our paddy is soaked, and millers are demanding higher cuts in weight. Even after covering it with tarpaulin, nothing could be saved. We came here with hopes of earning something, but this rain has crushed us.”
In Boudh, farmers are grappling with similar challenges. Harbhanga, Boudh, and Kantamal blocks have reported significant crop damage due to rain-soaked fields. Farmers, many of whom depend on loans to cultivate, fear that wet paddy will fetch even lower prices in the market, leaving them unable to repay their debts.
“I mortgaged my wife’s jewelry for this crop, thinking it would secure our future,” said a farmer from Hadabhanga. “Now, I can’t even afford to buy seeds for the next season.”
The unseasonal rains have exposed the vulnerability of Odisha’s agriculture sector to climatic changes. While district administrations are assessing losses, farmers argue that fast compensation and better procurement policies are essential to save them from ruin. Experts suggest that improved storage facilities and insurance coverage for weather-induced losses must be prioritized to protect the state’s agricultural backbone.
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