Vast tracts of vegetable, paddy, tapioca and banana fields have been devastated by heavy rain during the week in different parts of the district. According to sources in the Agriculture Department, 50 hectares of banana cultivation, 50 hectares of paddy, 10 hectares of vegetables and five hectares of tapioca have been seriously damaged.
They added that around 200 farmers had filed for compensation for the damage suffered during the week. The total damage is up to an extent of 115 hectares.
Thomas Kallolil in Vazhakulam said that he had not been able to enter his tapioca field for two days because of the flood-like situation. He said floodwaters inundated the fields briefly and hoped that the crop would survive.
Paddy farmers are the worst hit as the flooding of the fields has prevented field preparation activities for the second season, which sees most of the paddy production in the district.
Bay John, a pineapple farmer in Muvattupuzha, said the situation had led to the price of the fruit going down because of the fall in demand as heavy rain had disrupted normal life.
Most of the damage to rice paddy, tapioca and banana plantations had taken place in the eastern areas like Ramamangalam, the sources added.
