CUDDALORE: Officials from Agriculture department found that 288 hectares of banana tree plantations in Cuddalore circle were damaged due to the rainfall and heavy winds on Thursday. The farmers have urged the government to provide compensation soon.
According to a source from farmers association in Cuddalore, banana farming was done in nearly 6,000 acres of land in Cuddalore circle and during the storm on Thursday, banana trees planted in more than 600 acres at Annavalli, Vellaikarai, Ramapuram, Karaikadu, Vellapakam, M Puthur, S Puthur, T Puthupalayam, Vilangalpattu, Cuddalore Old Town, and Sedapakkam, were damaged.
Speaking to TNIE, banana farmer M Chitrasan from V Kattupalayam said, "We have spent ₹1.5-2 lakh per acre according to the variety and the bananas would have harvested in about two months. But, those trees were damaged in the sudden storm on Thursday.”
A team of Agriculture department officials inspected the damaged banana trees in Cuddalore on Saturday after district Collector K Balasubramaniam's orders. Official sources from agriculture department said, "Banana trees were cultivated in 2,385 hectares in Cuddalore, out of which 288 hectares of trees were damaged during the storm and 392 farmers were affected by it."
The source further said that the department will submit a report on this to the collector soon. “Revenue department officials will also inspect the damaged crops across the district and submit the report, so that further action can be taken,” he added.