Unseasonal rainfall spoils 20 hectares of fields in Salcete

Margao/Canacona: Post-monsoon showers that lashed Goa this week damaged approximately 20% of harvest-ready paddy crops across Salcete. “The rains occurred right at the time of harvest.

Some of the fields where harvesting was not done got affected.

The paddy fell flat, and some of them also sprouted,” Rajesh D’Costa, zonal agriculture officer for Salcete, said.Curtorim, Nagoa, and Fatorda were among the worst affected, with Salcete alone reporting damage to approximately 20 hectares of paddy fields. D’Costa identified the damaged fields as the ones which were sown late and subsequently led to harvesting delays. In some cases, inadequate access roads prevented harvester machines from reaching fields, while delays in the availability of the machines left crops exposed to rainfall. Applications from farmers for compensation declared by govt have begun pouring in from affected farmers, he said.Meanwhile, in Canacona, as a welcome spell of sunshine offered a glimmer of hope, director of agriculture Sandeep Fal Dessai acknowledged that some recovery might be possible if sunny weather persists. However, the recent downpours have left most farmers facing financial losses.