TIRUCHY: Acres of korai grass ready for harvest are left to wither in the fields as farmers are finding it difficult to find workers nor buyers. Due to coronavirus scare, no major agricultural work is taking place in the district. Also, restriction on movement has kept workers away from the field. Korai, a long grass variety, is cultivated on the banks of Cauvery river in Musiri area. This variety is used for manufacturing mats and has many takers in Karur.
A senior agricultural official said, “About 250 hectares in Musiri are being used for korai cultivation. To avoid loss, farmers can cut the harvest-ready grass at its root and spray urea. This will help the grass grow in 180 to 300 days period based on the availability of water.”
Ayilai Siva Sooriyan, District Secretary of Tamil Nadu Farmers’ Association, said the crop should have been harvested in March, but farmers were unable to find workers for the task.
Manimaran, an agricultural worker in Tiruchy, said most of the workers reside in rural areas like Manapparai, Thuraiyur, Manachanallur and travel to other parts of the district by hitch-hiking lorries or bikes. Now that was not possible. Moreover, they had to cross several check posts and security before reaching the fields. Due to these reason he said that they refrained from work.