AGARTALA, April 8 (TIWN): Hundreds of farmers in the rural Tripura have been driven to despair by the unseasonal rains and hailstorms which extensively damaged the vital vegetables. The pre-monsoon rain recently has hindered the growth and development of vegetables and watermelon cultivation in the remote location of the state. Hundreds of small farmers are juggling to survive as unpredictable weather hits their only source of income.

Heavy rains and hailstorm in recent weeks have damaged crops across North India with farmers suffering heavy losses. Several farmers, who took loans for farming, were deprived at large from a a minimum profit. During the last couple of days rains and hailstorms have damaged the production of vital vegetables with the farmers keeps hand-head across the rural areas of the state like, Sonamura, Kamalpur, Killa, Manu, Julaibari, Melagarh, Khowai, Charilam, Dharmanagar including others.  The vital production like tomatoes, potatoes, watermelon cultivation and others have been damaged at large due to the pre-monsoon rain and thunder storm.

The crops in vegetative state and those that were harvested and kept outside faced the brunt of unexpected and untimely rainfall in the mentioned parts. Potato farmers in the remote locations are having a harrowing time as unseasonal rains created havoc on standing crops. The situation has become grim as there witnessed a hefty loss for the farmers.

“We are incurring huge losses and we are not getting any returns from our cultivation. Farmers are not left with any other option than keeping hand-head as they are facing heavy debts,” said Kishore Debbarma (farmer). The potato output is adversely affected with loss ranging between 20-60 %

In Tripura initially the farmers were engaged growing paddy but along with the moving hands of the clock, the farmers at the rural Tripura got involved to vegetable cultivation at large. Moreover, irrigation facility has also been introduced and so farmers are gradually getting into vegetable farming. Earlier, in Tripura vegetable use to come from outside state and Shillong but now the farmers here are moving towards self-sufficiency in vegetable production.

Agriculture is the backbone of the economy of Tripura. Most of the indigenous local inhabitants of the state are engaged in the traditional occupation of cultivating fruits, and vegetables. More than 75% of the state's total workforce is dependent on agriculture for their subsistence.

In fact, about 24.3 % of the state's net area is reserved for agricultural purposes of which, about 2.5 lakh hectares fall under the net cultivated area. Paddy is the principal crop that is reaped in Tripura. However the monsoonal rainfall accompanied by a hailstorm is also likely to damage the paddy crops here in the state.