Windstorms and rain damage sugarcane crops in the Tarai

Continuous rain and windstorms have damaged sugarcane crops in many districts of the Tarai and inner Madhes.

In Bishnupur Rural Municipality-1 of Siraha, rain over two days and a windstorm on Thursday night flattened sugarcane grown on nearly two bighas of land belonging to farmer Gopindra Yadav.

Yadav had leased land to plant sugarcane on about three bighas. He said he had invested around Rs 400,000 in the crop, raised through loans and borrowing, and had hoped to earn about Rs 1 million had the crop turned out well.

With the plants now flattened, Yadav expressed concern that yield would fall and even his investment would not be recovered, making it difficult even to sustain his family.

Yadav, a former ward chair of Bishnupur Rural Municipality-1, had recently returned to farming as an occupation.

According to the forecast issued by the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology on Friday evening, windstorms are possible at some places in Koshi, Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini provinces as well as the Tarai belt of Madhes Province on Saturday. The department also noted a possibility of moderate rain with thunder and lightning at some places in Madhes Province the same day. The department's city-wise forecast puts the probability of rain in Janakpur at 60 percent.