Thoddoo farms suffered huge losses this Ramadan

An entrepreneur from AA. Thoddoo states no profit was generated from the island’s farmlands this Ramadan, adding this year’s marks one of the biggest losses.

Notably, entrepreneurs from Dhathuruveringe Market have also reported a significant drop in revenue this Ramadan, with businesses usually earning MVR 30,000 per day during previous years earning just MVR 4,000 per day this Ramadan.

Aishath Junaidha, a farmer from Thoddoo which produces the largest amount of watermelon for Ramadan who spoke with Sun said the revenue generated from the farms this Ramadan was significantly lower compared to previous years.

In this regard, she detailed that even half of the expenses incurred to cultivate the farm had not been recovered, marking the biggest losses in a month of Ramadan.

“This a year of huge losses to farmers. Expenses are incurred from our pockets [to cultivate farms]. Us farmers do not receive subsidies as well. This is a very difficult situation. We are purchasing items such as fertilizers at a huge cost,” she said.

According to Junaidha, farmers in Thoddoo typically earn around MVR 50,000 in addition to expenses that have been incurred to cultivate the farms, during Ramadan. On the contrary, Junaidha said the revenue generated this Ramadan do not cover even half of the expenses incurred to cultivate farms.

Junaidha, citing 130 farmlands were cultivated for Ramadan this year, emphasized bad weather as one of the biggest reasons behind the record losses.

In this trajectory, she underscored that the farmlands were damaged due to rain after watermelons had been planted, subjecting farmers to double expenses to fix the issue. 

She added that farmlands with both watermelons and other produces had fallen to ruins due to rain, as they contracted diseases.