MADURAI: With the water released from the Vaigai and the incessant rainfall, farmers are hopeful about their harvest. Apart from the Kuruvai paddy, farmers are showing interest towards tur dal cultivation as prices have soared.
Since there was delay in the water release, not many farmers showed interest towards the Kuruvai crop. But with the release of 900 cusecs of water from the Vaigai in the first week of July, cultivation has begun in full force, especially at Kallandiri and Vadipatti.
Under 2,000 hectares of land were being used for paddy cultivation before the release of the water. But following the release, agriculture department officials said that over 3,000 hectares are likely to be sowed within July for the Kuruvai season.
While black gram is the commonly opted pulse, tur dal is one of the major crops cultivated this season, agriculture department officials said. Last year, over 1,700 hectares of land was used for tur dal cultivation in Madurai.
While speaking to TNIE, Sathuragiri, a farmer, said, "The retail market price of tur dal is well above Rs 180 - Rs 200 rupees per kg based on quality. But last year, farmers got slightly above Rs 60 per kg. Farmers are left to face hardships as they are unable to get the right price for their harvest, despite good demand in the market. If farmers get better prices, they will opt for tur dal cultivation on a larger scale in Madurai."