RAMANATHAPURAM: With the onset of the northeastern monsoon, farmers cultivating chilli and paddy have accelerated their sowing process. As the cultivation area is expected to surpass last year's acreage, farmers have urged officials from the agricultural department to take measures to protect their crops from potential rain damage.
According to the agricultural department, with Samba cultivation underway, paddy has been sown on 1.2 lakh hectares of land so far. However, they are expecting the number to increase and surpass the previous year's acreage. Similarly, as chilli cultivation has also commenced, farmers have already planted chilli in a total of 15,000 hectares. However, as the cultivation works are done in pace manner, farmers are worried about how the paddy and chilli crops were damaged during the last monsoon.
M Gavaskar, a farmer leader from Thiruvadanai, pointing out how last year most of the crops were inundated due to canal breaching, urged the officials concerned to take action towards clearing off all the branch and main canals this year so that the water drains off instead of inundating the field.
Responding to this, officials stated that, as per the district collector's directions, all canals are already being maintained to prevent such issues.
M S K Bakkiyanathan, president of TN Vaigai Irrigation Farmers Association, said, "The rainfall and pest attack have affected most of the chilli crops in the district, and the farmers are yet to receive compensation for that despite staging a series of protests. The horticulture department should also carry out awareness programmes on pest prevention."
When TNIE contacted Arumugam, deputy director of the horticulture department, Ramanathapuram, he said, "Proper awareness programmes are being carried out on pest issues ahead of chilli cultivation. Teams are closely monitoring each block to aid farmers. Around Rs 14.9 crore has been allotted as crop insurance for the damaged chilli crops, and so far we have distributed the compensation to 85% of the farmers, and the remaining farmers will get their money within the next couple of days."