THANJAVUR: Samba paddy cultivation is yet to gather pace in the district as farmers dependent on canal water for irrigation are worried about availability of water. They cite the low storage in Mettur reservoir and Karnataka’s repeated refusal to implement the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s order to release water to Tamil Nadu.
According to data shared by Agriculture and Farmers Welfare department, samba and thaladi cultivation target for Thanjavur for 2026-2027 is 3,00,000 acres. Of this, cultivation has been undertaken in 20,384 acres till September 23, which is significantly lower than around 22,000 acres cultivated on the same date last year. In the coming weeks, the target could be reduced if water is not available, say farmers.
R Sundarrajan (40), from Kasanadu Thekkur is one of the hundreds of farmers in the district dependent on canal irrigation who have skipped samba cultivation due to uncertainty of water availability. “I cultivated kuruvai and samba paddy last year as there was enough water in Mettur reservoir. This year I did not cultivate kuruvai and have decided to skip samba also despite preparing my two-acre land by ploughing well in advance”, he said.
He is dependent on Grand Anicut canal for irrigation and does not have a pumpset. He decided to skip cultivation based on the bitter experience he had in 2016, when he cultivated samba and the crop wilted because water was not available in the later stages. He allowed cattle to graze in the field. Sundarrajan said he might sow green gram or sesame if there is rain in the near future.
K Natarajan from Ayyanapuram who cultivated samba paddy last year is also second guessing this year. “Given the the present storage level in Mettur, raising nursery for samba cultivation is risky,” he said adding if there are rains in the coming days, he may consider direct sowing.
Natarajan is also dependent on water from the Grand Anaicut canal. An office bearer of the Senior Agro technologists forum said there were very less takers for samba seeds stocked in the Government depots.
“Only those with energised motor pump sets will go for thaladi crop and those dependent solely on canal water are reluctant to raise samba”, said S Sivakumar of Manathidal.