Odisha farmers fear cyclone ‘Montha’ could wipe out months of hard work

As cyclone Montha approaches, farmers in Odisha’s Ganjam district are growing increasingly anxious about their vegetable crops. The impending storm raised fear on Monday among growers of ginger and turmeric, who are closely monitoring the weather alerts issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

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Some local farmers were seen harvesting early, while others sell their produce hurriedly, worried that excessive rainfall could destroy their crops. In areas where young plants are still in the ground, farmers are taking additional steps to protect the plants, covering them with soil or mulch to reduce potential damage.

The concern is particularly high in Dharakote block, Podapalli village, where large areas of ginger cultivation are at risk. Farmers fear that if the cyclone brings strong winds along with heavy rain, entire farmlands could be devastated, resulting in significant financial losses.

With the storm approaching, anxiety among the farming community continues to grow, as they brace for the impact of Cyclone Montha on their livelihoods.

“Everything will be lost. Some have borrowed money from the bank, and others have mortgaged their gold jewellery and invested in crops. This is our chief occupation. We earn our livelihood from agricultural farming for the entire year,” a local farmer said.

“Winter crop season is the primary cultivation season to eke out our living. If this is lost, those who have borrowed money from the banks will suffer a lot,” the local farmer lamented.

“I have cultivated cauliflower, brinjal, beans, pointed gourd, and many more vegetables on my farmland this crop season,” the farmer added.