Thiruvananthapuram: At a time when the state is mourning over agricultural losses, tuber crop farmers have good news to share.
Compared to others, tuber crops have fared well in the floods, according to scientists from ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (ICAR-CTCRI).
As per their assessment after visiting the flood-affected areas in various districts, around 7679.30-hectare area with tuber crops suffered damage in the floods.
The total area over which tuber crops were planted would be 1.8 lakh to 2 lakh hectares, according to the scientists. Compared to that only a small percentage of crops suffered damage.
Cassava is the tuber which suffered the most damage. If the total losses were Rs 288.04 crores, cassava losses amounted to Rs 204.35 crores.
The institute’s director Archana Mukherjee says, “Cassava (‘kappa’) planted in an area of over 5838.71 hectares got damaged. Cassava is not a water-loving crop, though it can withstand up to two waterlogged weeks. Elephant Foot Yam (‘chena’) planted in an area of over 943.30 hectares also suffered losses. This has better flood-tolerance than cassava.”
“However, if the tuber has already matured at the time of the floods, it would decay, and 355 hectares of taro (‘chembu’), 219 hectares of yam (‘kachil’), 78.5 hectares of Chinese potato (‘koorka’) and 5.5 hectares of sweet potato got damaged,” she says.
Seeing how climate-resilient sweet potato was, many paddy farmers became sweet potato farmers after the Odisha cyclone, according to Archana. DC asked if something like that would happen in the aftermath of Kerala floods.
“More paddy farmers might go for integrated farming, in which crops, poultry and fish are all grown together. We suggest paddy farmers keep a small area in their farms for tuber crops,” she says.
Short-duration Cassava is already planted in many paddy fields as a third season crop, according to J Sreekumar, a scientist at ICAR-CTCRI.
All ICAR institutions in Kerala, have been assessing the damages, upon ICAR director general Trilochan Mahopatra’s instruction. The scientists will also devise a strategic plan to rehabilitate farmers.
