Delay in relief aid dashes hopes of seasonal farmers in Kozhikode hit by monsoon

Seasonal farmers who suffered heavy losses in the recent monsoon calamities are yet to get interim relief from the government or crop insurance companies, leaving many frustrated and considering quitting farming.

“We have learned that it may take more than two years to process the compensation claims based on the partly completed assessments. There is no hope. My total loss in the joint farming venture was about ₹5 lakh,” said Abdul Kabeer, one of the hapless plantain farmers from Mavoor grama panchayat. He lamented that the situation had remained the same for several years, forcing farmers to beg for their eligible dues.

Though Agriculture department officials claimed they had completed the field-level assessments and submitted the estimated losses to the higher authorities, farmers said the further proceedings were still moving at a snail’s pace, leaving them bewildered. Farmers from Peruvayal and Mavoor panchayats appeared to be the worst hit.

“Despite all these challenges, some of the affected plantain farmers are still trying to return to seasonal farming. They have no other option but to continue with the only work they know for a living. They may not be able to gain anything from this year’s Onam market and will have to wait at least eight more months to reap the fruit of their labour,” said N. Vasudevan, a resident of Peruvayal panchayat who had leased out his field for joint farming ventures. He added that leased-land farming was also going through an inexplicable crisis owing to the lack of proper support.

According to the latest statistics available with the Agriculture department, the total loss suffered in the agriculture sector in the district since the onset of the monsoon was estimated at ₹44 crore. It had been assessed scientifically after field-level data collection by officials, covering about 2,000 hectares in Kozhikode district. The compiled data also showed that farmers in the Thodannur block suffered the biggest impact, with an estimated loss of ₹18.7 crore.

Plantain and paddy farmers were among the worst hit by the seasonal challenges. According to the Agriculture department’s latest records, plantain farmers alone lost crops worth ₹35 crore, with about 6.5 lakh trees destroyed during the monsoon. In the case of paddy, the loss was estimated at ₹2.6 crore across 175 hectares of affected fields.