Hailstones Destroy Crops in Dailekh

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Hailstones Destroy Crops in Dailekh

April 8: Bel Nepali of Thatikadh Rural Municipality in Dailekh district has a seven-member family. Since her husband and son are abroad for foreign employment, she took loan from a wealthy local to purchase seeds and oxen for farming.  She then planted the seeds in 2 ropanis of land belonging to her neighbour. Due to the timely rainfall, the wheat saplings she planted grew pretty well. She was hopeful of a good harvest this season.

She was eager to prepare delicacies of wheat for her husband who was to arrive home this month, after six months stay in India, to celebrate the festival of Chaite Dashain.

But her hopes were dashed by the recent hailstones that damaged crops in her village as well as the neighbouring Chamunda Municipality.

Not only her but almost all the farmers in western Dailekh faced the same problem this season. The hailstones destroyed her crops last Friday when she was about to harvest them.

All the farmers are now worried about managing their two square meals.

“I was hopeful of a good harvest that would suffice for two months. But now I have to rely on my husband’s hard-earned money to pay the debt,” said Nepali.

“I worked in the field on empty stomach. I couldn’t even taste a single meal of by hard labour,” she added.

“The Gods did not have any mercy upon poor farmers like us.”

 

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