FARMERS LOSE HOPE AS DEFICIENT MONSOON FOLLOWS EXCESS RAINFALL IN UP AND OTHER PARTS

Farmers in Uttar Pradesh are facing significant losses and an uncertain future due to monsoon rains that were below average and excessive rain that followed. Data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) show that surplus rainfall occurred last week in 67 of Uttar Pradesh's 75 districts (after September 30). 

Many people think that even if Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered officials to take action to help farmers affected by the unfavourable weather, it may already be too late. 

According to IMD data, this monsoon season had about 30% less rainfall in Uttar Pradesh (June 1 to September 30). As a result, 53 out of the 75 districts recorded insufficient rainfall. Farmers were also disadvantaged by the lack of rain since it affected their Kharif crops.

Surendra Pathak, a potato farmer in Etawah, said, “We saw the early potato varieties by the end of September. But this year, around seven hectares of our potato farm have been affected by heavy rains. The fields are filled with water which causes rotting of the sown potato tubers." If the excessive rains persisted, according to Pathak, it would be more difficult to plant the late type of potatoes. The first week of October had an average rainfall of 81 mm in Etawah, which is 876 percent greater than the long-period average (LPE) of 8.3 mm.

Rains flooded the fields, destroying recently planted potatoes, maize, and paddy that were still in the ground. Additionally impacted are pulses like urad and millets like bajra.

In the same period, the Gonda district experienced 248.6 mm of rainfall, which is 883 percent more than the long-term average of 25.3 mm. A marginal farmer named Prabhat Kumar is concerned about his paddy harvest.