Natural disasters have struck again and again just as crops were about to be harvested, and farmers from different parts of the district say they are in trouble. They say that over the past eight months, harvesting has been hit by natural disasters at least four times.

Although the agriculture department claims Cyclone Bulbul will not cause much damage, farmers are still not fully reassured. The department says farmers must take out more crop insurance to protect themselves from losses.

The farmers set out the problems of the past eight months in detail.

First, in February, rain just before the potato and onion harvest hurt many farmers in the Kalna subdivision. Many were seen giving up on lifting their rotten crops and starting to prepare for the next one.

Second, good rain was needed for aman paddy in July and August but did not come. At the same time, farmers said they struggled to ret jute for lack of water.

Third, before Kali Puja, a low-pressure system brought unseasonal rain again, affecting vegetable cultivation in Purbasthali and other areas. Brajen Karmakar, a farmer in Purbasthali, said: "Because prices are good in the festival season, we grew cauliflower, cabbage and other vegetables even at extra cost. But this rain wrecked everything."

Fourth, farmers fear the current rain could affect vegetable crops. Onion growers say seedlings have been destroyed by unseasonal rain at least three times in the past couple of months. In addition, paddy plants have been flattened in Kalna, Manteswar, Bhatar, Memari, Jamalpur and other areas.

In this situation, the agriculture department is stressing crop insurance to give farmers some protection from nature's blows. Partha Ghosh, an assistant agriculture officer in the district, said: "To protect themselves from losses, farmers must turn more and more to crop insurance."

Source: Anandabazar. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.