RAJBIRAJ: Heavy rain and strong winds caused by Cyclone Dana have damaged paddy crops across various local levels in Saptari over the past three days. Farmers, who were preparing to harvest their mature crops, are now concerned after seeing their fields flattened by the weather.

The damage has been reported in Dakneshwori, Mahadeva, Tirhut, Khadak, and Rupani municipalities. In many areas, the paddy stalks have collapsed, while waterlogging in fields has made it difficult to harvest the crop. Local farmers, including Kamlesh Kumar Yadav, Jagdish Mukhiya, and Rajnarayan Sah, reported significant losses as the flattened crops are difficult to gather.

Roshan Mehta, head of the Agriculture Knowledge Center in Saptari, stated that the district typically cultivates paddy on approximately 68,000 hectares of land. This year, planting was completed on 100 percent of the available land. According to Mehta, the impact of the cyclone has caused minor to partial damage across the district. He noted, ‘We are currently collecting damage reports from various municipalities.’

The waterlogged fields have hindered the use of harvesting machinery. Furthermore, harvested stalks left in the fields have been soaked by rain, increasing the risk of spoilage. Some farmers reported that the soaked grains have even begun to sprout. Paddy varieties with longer stalks were noted to be more susceptible to the high winds.

Farmers began efforts to harvest and dry their remaining crops on Saturday afternoon as weather conditions improved. The Agriculture Knowledge Center stated that based on preliminary information, the overall production of paddy is not expected to suffer a major decline. A clear assessment of the total damage will be available only after the collection of data is completed.