TIRUCHY: Farmers undertaking the cultivation of red gram, also known as toor dal, in the district during this ‘Aadi Pattam’ season, and agriculture officials alike, are hopeful of the crop acreage surpassing last year’s figure of around 2,900 acres owing to the prevailing “favourable weather conditions” and “timely water availability”.
While officials expected the pulse to be raised on about 6,200 acres last year, they are hopeful the figure would be achieved this year. Farmers primarily in areas like Musiri, T Pettai, Thottiyam, Manachanallur, Thuraiyur and Pulivalam have commenced red gram cultivation.
Unlike other regions where red gram is typically grown as an intercrop, farmers in Musiri block cultivate it as a pure crop. Villages such as Thiruthiyamalai, Thiruthalaiyur, Abinimangalam, Thinnakonam and Kottathur are the major areas in the block where red gram cultivation is concentrated.
The crop thrives in red lateritic soil, which is abundant in these regions, officials said. As per data, a total of 2,838 acres in the district came under red gram cultivation during the 2024-25 season. Of this, Musiri block alone accounted for around 1,000 acres.
C Yoganathan, a farmer from Thinnakonam in Musiri, said that a large number of farmers in the region take to toor dal cultivation besides growing millets. “I have sown the crop on about 1.5 acres during this ‘Aadi Pattam’,” he said.
“Compared to other regions in the state, the toor dal grown in Musiri has a superior taste. As a post-harvest practice, farmers here soak the dal in red soil before splitting it. This helps in nutrient retention and enhances the taste, making Musiri dal a preferred choice among traders,” he added.
Meanwhile, R Sugumar, assistant director of agriculture, encouraged farmers to grow high-yielding varieties of the pulse such as CO 8 and CO 9 released by the Department of Pulses, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. “We provide high-yielding seeds, biofertilisers and micronutrients under the National Agricultural Development Programme with 100% subsidy.
Additionally, to promote the adoption of transplanting technologies such as sowing in polybags and maintaining polybag nurseries, the state government offers a 50% back-end subsidy per hectare under the State Agricultural Development Scheme. This support greatly benefits rain-fed farmers and improves profitability," he explained.