A large quantity of harvested maize in Ballari district is getting destroyed owing to the incessant rains and the excessive moisture in the weather.
In the Ballari APMC market yard alone, over 1,200 bags of maize were found to be going to waste.
As per information provided by the farmers, the rains had hit not only maize harvesting but also destroyed the crop that was harvested and kept in heaps across the district.
Though many farmers have somehow managed to transport the harvested crop to the nearby market, they are finding it very difficult to sell it.
“I have brought around 80 quintals of maize to the market about a week ago but I could not sell it as no one turned up for the purchase. The crop is getting destroyed in the heaps as it caught fungus. I tried to dry it in the sun. But, the cold weather failed my attempt. The APMC market doesn’t have facilities to keep the farm produce safe,” Rahul, a farmer from Hosalli village in Sandur taluk, told The Hindu .
The farmer, an engineering graduate, has cultivated maize in around 40 acres of land spending over ₹8 lakh.
He has harvested the entire crop but bought a portion of it to the APMC market. The remaining crop is kept at his field covered with protective plastic sheets.
“I have spent ₹20,000 on every acre for cultivating maize. I had borrowed money from friends, relatives, and traders to meet the cultivating expenditure. With the harvested crop getting destroyed in the market and field with no takers, I am worried about the repayment of the loans,” Mr. Rahul said.
Mr. Rahul also complained of little cooperation from the APMC authorities for protecting the crop in the market yard.
“They [APMC authorities] did not provide me with plastic sheets to cover the crop. Nor did they give any space in the warehouse to keep my crop. I had to spend nights in an open area protecting the crop from the cattle. The godowns meant for farmers are being used by businessmen to keep their commodities,” he said.
Admitting the problems that farmers were facing in selling their produces, APMC authorities pleaded their helplessness.
“Due to the continued rains, maize purchase was not done on Wednesday and Thursday. The fresh crop has also not arrived in the market because of the rains. Keeping the farmers’ interests in mind, we have ensured that traders purchased the crop even if it had 20% moisture content,” Maharudraguda, president of Ballari APMC Traders’ Association, said.
According to him, traders would not come forward to purchase the crop if the crop had more than 20% moisture.
“If the maize grain has more than 20% moisture, it develops fungus and turns poisonous. It cannot be used as feed in poultry farms. That is why the traders are not coming forward to purchase the crop,” Mr. Maharudragouda said.
