PALAKKAD: In many paddy fields in the state, plastic waste and bottles have accumulated along with clay and sand. These have to be removed before the weed grows since it will be difficult to pick them out then. Availability of paddy seeds for the second crop could be another hiccup, said Narayanankutty.
P K Jayasree, Director of Agriculture, said leaf blight disease has been severe in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Palakkad and Malappuram districts. In Wayanad there was the problem of death of earth worms due to excess soil temperature.
According to her, an eight-member expert team — comprising scientists from the Kerala Agriculture University and Agriculture Department — has started field visits to study the situation. The team will suggest remedial measures. “While the Centre has raised the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy by `2 per kg, the LDF Government didn’t take a corresponding step.
This is the third year the state government failed to hike the support price. During the UDF’s tenure, the government had done its bit,” said Muthalamthode Mani, Desiya Karshaka Samajam state general secretary.He said the Centre had raised the MSP by 60 paise in 2016, 50 paise in 2017 and by `2 in 2018. Currently, the contribution of the Centre is `17.50 and the state `7.80.“The harvesting season has begun and Supplyco will be procuring paddy from September 21 at `25.30 a kg. Last week, we received `168 crore as outstanding dues towards the procurement of the second crop of paddy and currently dues to the farmers are minimal,” said Supplyco managing director M S Jaya.