THANJAVUR: Farmers in the district who took up groundnut cultivation during Margazhi Pattam are a disappointed lot as they complain of the unseasonal rains in February this year having led to a decline in yield. As against the average of nine bags of 80 kg each per acre, the yield has come down to six bags, they said. According to an Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department official, groundnut cultivation was taken up over around 11,000 acres in Thanjavur, Budalur, Thiruvonam, Orathanadu and Pattukottai blocks during this Margazhi Pattam, wherein sowing is usually taken up during December to January.
During Chithirai Pattam cultivation season, the sowing is during April to May. With the harvest of Margazhi Pattam crop drawing to a close, VK Chinnadurai, a farmer from Tiruvonam, said, “Groundnut farmers used to get a yield of around nine bags of 80 kg each per acre. However, due to the unseasonal rains during this year's season, the yield has come down to five to six bags in many areas.” V Muthulakshmi, a farmer from Vengarayankudikadu, said that she got six bags of 80 kg per acre this season and blamed the drop in yield to the unseasonal rains in February and March.
Meanwhile, the price being offered per 80 kg bag of groundnut has risen as compared to last year, said farmers. While the price offered was around Rs 7,000 per bag last year it has risen to around Rs 8,500 this year, Chinnadurai said. However, even with the normal yield of nine bags, the farmers got a decent income only if groundnut was offered a price of Rs 10,000 per bag, he added. "With the drop in yield, even the increase in price offered by traders would not bring cheer to farmers," he also said.