Rising heat index and near empty dams and rivers raise the spectre of area under paddy, vegetables, banana and spice crops among others drying up, turning farmers in Kerala into an extremely worried lot thinking about life after Onam.
“The auspicious month of Chingam and the iconic Onam have meant little for most farmers, who even observed a fast on the first day of Chingam. It has been a upward struggle as farmers face one of the most severe tests of their lives. Payment for procured paddy has just begun to trickle in. The farming sector itself is in big trouble,” said Muthalamthode Mani, paddy farmer in Palakkad.
Thousands of farmers like him worry that about half their cultivation will fall prey to the weather condition with dams going empty due to poor monsoon. Their worries stem from the fact that Kerala as a whole received nearly 50% less rain than the normal 1,712 mm between June 1 and August 28.
Among the districts, Idukki saw a 63% deficit from the average for the period. “It is indeed a big threat for spice crops. Farmers have already begun to irrigate, wherever possible, cardamom holdings,” said Alex Ozhukayil of Kerala Independent Farmers’ Association, an advocacy group.
The lowest deficit of 32% has been in Kasaragod, while Wayanad, Thrissur, Palakkad, and Kottayam have seen more than 50% fall in rain received during the June-August period, indicated official weather data.
John Namala, an award-winning farmer in Wayanad said that he has abandoned most crops and now grows only pepper and coffee. He too fears a severe shortage of water in the near future.
Mr. Mani said that at least half the one-lakh hectares under paddy in Palakkad district will be wiped out because of water shortage. The water level in Malampuzha, Aliyar, and Parambikulam is alarming. Chittoor taluk will be hit hard by the shortage, he added.
Scientists looking at climate change and emerging weather patterns warn that Kerala should prepare for conditions stemming from poor rainfall even as it has developed a fear complex about excess rain and flooding since 2018 August.
Mr. Ozhukayil said short-term crops such as bananas, vegetables, and fruits will be the hardest hit. Regular reports have come in from places such as Attappady where farmers are already in distress, he added.
