THANJAVUR: Harvest of early samba paddy has commenced in the district, but farmers are reporting drop in yield due to unseasonal rains. In the district, samba and thaladi paddy were cultivated on 1.33 lakh hectares. So far, 4,000 hectares have been harvested, according to Agriculture department.
P Selvaraj, a farmer in Soorakkottai, said he got only 24 bags of 60 kg each of paddy per acre whereas last year it was 36 bags.”’Rain during the flowering stage of the crop led to pollen shedding, resulting in a fall in yield,” he said. An Agriculture department official admitted, “Rain in late November and early December led to pollen shedding and reduction in the yield.”
Officials said the average yield currently was 5,000 kg per hectare whereas the normal yield during samba season was around 6,500 kg per hectare. “The crop to be harvested after Pongal would give good yield,” officials hoped. As of now, early samba paddy is being harvested in areas of Orathanadu, Thanjavur and Ammapettai blocks.
Not just dip in yield, farmers are also facing problems in selling paddy due to intermittent rains. “We brought the paddy two days ago. As the moisture content is around 19 per cent, the paddy could not be sold,” a farmer waiting at the direct procurement centre in Madigai said.
As per Food Corporation of India rules, only paddy with moisture content of up to 17 per cent can be procured, so farmers need to dry the harvest. However, the intermittent rain has been increasing the moisture content. A farmer could be seen scooping out stagnant rainwater in tarpaulin sheets covering the paddy heaps. Rains are also hindering the harvest for now. “As there were no heavy rains, the harvest would be delayed only by a day or two,” officials said.