MADURAI: Farmers in Vadipatti and Sholavandan blocks of the district alleged that gale, along with the recent rainfall, has caused extensive damage to the crops in the region, even as the officials are continuing preliminary assessments of the losses.
According to farmers, major stretches of betel leaf farms, harvest-ready paddy fields, and coconut and banana plantations have been severely affected. However, they claim that the full extent of the damages has not yet been properly documented.
Speaking about the issue, M Jayaram, a betel leaf farmer from Mannadimangalam, said that he had invested nearly Rs 2.5 lakh in cultivating betel leaf across 3.8 acres, only to see the crop devastated by hailstorms and strong winds earlier this week. "The crop was entirely destroyed, and there is only a little that can be salvaged. With the election preparatory works underway, compensation may be delayed, but we hope the government will step in to support us," he said, adding that similar damage has been reported across several villages in the two blocks.
Jayaratchagan, a farmer from Vadipatti, said that paddy crops nearing harvest were severely damaged, with the grains shedding due to strong winds and rain. "We were just about 10 days away from harvesting and had spent nearly Rs 30,000 per acre. Besides, coconut and banana crops have also sustained considerable losses," he said.
Officials from the agriculture and horticulture departments said the preliminary inspections have identified crop damage across approximately 25 acres, particularly affecting horticultural crops such as betel leaf, banana, and coconut. The horticulture department has completed crop damage enumeration and submitted the report for compensation, while the agriculture department has been carrying out inspections across the blocks. Refuting claims of delay, the officials reiterated that the inspections are proceeding properly, despite election work.
On the contrary, representatives of farmers have expressed dissatisfaction with the pace and the scope of the assessments. Kanthan, a farmer representative from Sholavandan, alleged that many of the affected areas are yet to be surveyed as officials are engaged in election-related duties. He urged the departments to expedite enumeration and ensure fair compensation for the affected farmers. Murugan, another farmer representative from Mannadimangalam, said that, while some lodged paddy crops could still be harvested using track-type harvesters, an additional cost of around Rs 3,000 per acre would further burden farmers, who are already reeling from severe losses.