Gone with the floods: Kalpitiya farmers made destitute

Unusual heavy rains have caused destruction to cultivation in 16 divisional secretariat areas in the Puttalam District.

In Kalpitiya alone, some 10,000 acres of vegetable cultivation has been destroyed by floods. Kalpitiya supplied about 300,000 kilograms of vegetables a day to wholesale markets countrywide. This is a major reason for the shortage and the price hike of vegetables.

Parts of Kalpitiya were still under water on Friday with the area continuing to receive heavy rains.

Area farmers say the damage to the crops has caused them losses in millions of rupees. They say they mortgage their jewellery and other valuables to invest in their cultivation but they are getting nothing in return this time.

The farmers also point out that about 2000 women workers who worked for a daily pay have also lost their income.

V.J. Dilan from Narakkaliya said that in his lifetime, he had not experienced a destruction of this scale to his cultivation. “Rains have come and gone in the past, but they have not caused damage to the extent we are faced with now. There was only a week away for me to reap the beetroot harvest but the whole cultivation went under water."

Farmer Niroshan Dabere from Illanthady says he had brought around 10 acres of land under onion cultivation after obtaining a loan. He says he had to buy urea at black market prices of Rs 10,000 a bag, which was only Rs. 1,200 before the ban on fertiliser was imposed in April.

Another farmer, Rasika Indumathy, says she too borrowed money to start cultivation and buy fertiliser, but now she did not know how to redeem the jewellery she had mortgaged. "Our mortgaged jewellery remains buried in this land. We are helpless," he said.

Kalpitiya Divisional Secretary Pregeeth Danansootriya says the damage to the crops were extensive and officials were estimating the loss the farmers have suffered.