Change in rainfall pattern puts Wayanad farmers in a fix

Call to ensure proper drainage in farms and disease management steps

The change in rainfall pattern coupled with pest attacks have emerged as a major concern for farmers in Wayanad, a prominent coffee, arecanut, rice and pepper growing regions in the State.

“The distribution of rainfall is important for agriculture, which is derived from the number of rainy days [a day with rainfall of more than or equal to 2.5 mm],” said Sajesh Jan, Assistant Professor, Department of Agriculture Meteorology, Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS) of the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) at Ambalavayal in the district.

Data from the station revealed that there were a total of 88 rainy days during the year, whereas the normal number of rainy days is 147, Dr. Sajesh said, adding that it showed a 40% reduction in rainy days indicating that extreme rainfall events (high intense rain) were more this year too.