Betel leaf farmers in Odisha, hit hard by the lockdown restrictions, faced more problems when the super cyclone ‘Amphan’ had razed hundreds of vineyards to ground in coastal districts.
Extensive damage has been reported from the Kujanga and Ersama blocks in Jagatsinghpur, Chandipur area in Bhadrak and the Bhograi block in Balasore district.
A day after heavy rain and gusty wind swept across the coastal districts, farmers found the major cash crop damaged. They would require huge investments to bring them back to their earlier position.
“Our betel leaves have remained unsold due to the lockdown. More than 5,000 farmers have lost their livelihood in the Ersama block alone. The daily labourers, who depend on the vineyards, have also suffered. The cyclone has hit us hard when the situation is limping back to normalcy following easing up of the lockdown restrictions,” said Debendra Swain of Dhinkia village in Jagatsinghpur district.
Most farmers do not have any capital left as they have not harvested the leaves during the past two months. Mr. Swain said. Arranging fresh investment for repairing the vineyards would prove to be a very difficult affair, he said.
The farmers demanded that the State government should announce a special package for them.
