Farmers face losses as hailstorms, wind damage fruits, veggie crops

Ranchi: Unrelenting spells of high-velocity winds, heavy rainfall, and hailstorms across Jharkhand over the past few days have left a trail of agricultural devastation, particularly crippling farmers dedicated to seasonal fruits and vegetables. While mango and watermelon crops have borne the brunt of the weather's fury, large-scale destruction has also been reported in tomato, coriander, okra, and gourd plantations.

A mango grower from Khunti district, Manoj Linda, said, “The heavy rains and hailstorms have caused a massive fruit drop. We were anticipating a bumper harvest this year as the trees were laden with fruits, but following the storm, we are deeply concerned about our financial survival.” The situation is equally dire for vegetable cultivators. Kiran Devi, a farmer from Ormanjhi block in Ranchi, said, “Most of my tomato crop has been ruined. I am being forced to sell whatever remains at a nominal price just to salvage some value before it decays further.”

Ormanjhi circle officer Ujjwal Kumar Soren said, “Around 40 farmers have already approached us. We have mobilised mukhiyas and local workers at the panchayat level to urge farmers to submit compensation requests along with their Khata and plot numbers to facilitate the survey." PRADAN, a social organisation supporting around 7.5 lakh farmers in the state, confirmed the widespread impact. Prem Shankar said, “Those growing watermelons, mangoes, and high-value vegetables like tomato and capsicum have incurred significant losses. Around 1.5 lakh farmers associated with the organisation cultivate mangoes, while 40,000 are involved in watermelon farming.”

“Watermelon farmers are facing a double whammy. While the hailstorm physically damaged the crops, the subsequent dip in temperature due to the rain has stifled the demand and sale of the fruit.

At present, farmers are assessing the extent of losses and are hopeful of receiving appropriate support through existing mechanisms and relief measures,” he added. The crop destruction has led to a slump in market prices. Md. Azhar, a vendor at Ranchi’s Nagababa Khatal, observed that the price of Gulab Khas mangoes has dropped from Rs 140 to Rs 100 per kg, with most varieties seeing a reduction of at least Rs 20 per kg.

State agriculture department secretary Aboobacker Siddique said, “Compensation for crop loss is handled by the disaster management department. We are instructing district agriculture officers to conduct comprehensive surveys of the damage and submit their findings to the disaster management wing, while keeping our department informed.”