CHENNAI: The Agriculture Department has issued advisories to farmers of southern districts to safeguard crops from heavy wind and enrol in crop insurance scheme immediately.
According to a release, more rain is expected on December 2, 3 and 4 in southern districts, and farmers should immediately take up insurance for their crops by providing documents such as Chitta, Adangal, Aadhaar card and bank pass book copy at the nearby Common Service Centres, Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies and nationalised banks by remitting premium.
Farmers who cultivate samba / pishanam paddy and horticultural crops like banana, tapioca, onion, chillies, tomato, bhendi, brinjal, coriander and ginger in Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Virudhunagar, Kanniyakumari, Madurai and Dindigul may enrol immediately without waiting for the cut-off date of December 15.
Farmers who cultivated coconut should harvest matured and tender coconut, and also remove unwanted dry leaves below the crown. Irrigation and manuring may be stopped four days before the cyclone.
As regards horticultural crops, pruning of trees may be taken up, which will prevent the uprooting of trees. About 300 gm of copper oxychloride mixed with a litre of water can be applied to avoid fungal diseases. Propping of banana, tapioca, jack fruit, papaya trees should be undertaken with bamboo / eucalyptus.