THANJAVUR/NAGAPATTINAM: With around 25% of samba paddy harvested in three of the four delta districts, farmers in many areas have reported a drop in yield compared to last year.
The farmers attribute the loss to rains during the flowering and tillering stages of the crop. In Nagapattinam district, the harvest has commenced only recently.
According to the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare department sources in Thanjavur district, samba and thaladi was cultivated in 1.31 lakh hectares, of which harvest is over in 41,590 hectares.
In Tiruvarur district, the paddy was cultivated in 1,45,991 hectares during the current season, of which harvest is over in 31,218 hectares.
PS Masilamani, a farmer from Tiruvarur and the state general secretary of farmers association told TNIE, “The yield has come down in many parts of Tiruvarur district including Mangudi, Kottur, Tiruthuraipoondi, Mannargudi areas. Farmers who got at least 36 bags each of 60 kg per acre last year are now getting only around 21-25 bags per acre”.
The data collected by the Agriculture and Farmers welfare department officials of Tiruvarur district also indicate the trend. Last year, the average yield was 3,790 kg per hectare. In the current season, the average yield so far stands at 3,153 kg per hectare, official sources said. In Thanjavur, official estimates of the yield this year so far has been almost on par with last year. T Murugesan, a farmer of Maruthuvakudi near Kumbakonam who cultivated the long duration CR 1009 paddy variety in 10 acres said he got a decent yield compared to last year.
However, R Sukumaran of Kakkarai near Orathanadu who cultivated Co 42 a medium duration variety says that there was a drop in yield in his field. He added that those who cultivated long duration paddy varieties like CR 1009 got a good yield and those cultivated medium duration varieties are staring at low yield. In Nagapattinam, farmers have raised concerns over the drop in yield.
“The yield of the harvested samba paddy was significantly lower, and we are getting merely half of the quantity expected per acre,” said SR Tamilselvan of Nagapattinam from TN Farmers Protection Association. Agriculture department officials of Mayiladuthurai and Nagapattiam told TNIE that the assessment of the average yield is yet to be completed. “However farmers have been saying the yield has been low,” they added.
Agricultural experts have attributed multiple interconnected factors, including climate change, to the yield loss. “The delay of Mettur water reaching the tail end districts (of Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai) was compounded by the absence of summer rains last year before the Kuruvai season. This prevented farmers from completing essential pre-sowing activities such as land preparation and ploughing, resulting in delayed Kuruvai sowing,” said V Kannan, Agronomy specialist of KVK Nagapattinam.
“Waterlogging in the fields due to unseasonal rains after Kuruvai harvest, delayed the sowing window for subsequent samba and thaladi crops. These late sown crops were in early stages, when cyclone induced rains lashed, causing damage to them,” he added. The combination of excessive humidity and unseasonably cold temperatures also fostered the spread of diseases such as blight disease and caused significant grain discolouration. Durai Raj, a farmer from Mayiladuthurai and joint secretary of TN farmers association blamed improper maintenance and desilting of canals resulting in excess water not draining from fields resulting in loss of crop and yield.