AGARTALA, FEB 13 (TIWN): Farmers in the rural Tripura have been driven to despair by the untimely rains which extensively damaged the vital vegetables. This 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 have damaged crops across the state 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 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,Belonia,Hrishyamukh 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).

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.