CHENNAI: Cyclone Burevi has left standing agricultural crops -- paddy, millets, oilseeds, pulses, sugarcane and cotton -- on around 2.5 lakh hectares badly damaged in 18 districts and officials are taking steps to save the crops. Horticultural crops on 11,084 hectares in 20 districts are inundated and efforts are on to drain the water.
“Heavy rains have inundated agricultural crops in 2,87,499 hectares. Paddy crops in four districts Tiruvarur (87,510 ha), Nagapattinam (80,983 ha), Cuddalore (44,407 ha) and Thanjavur (11,729 ha) are badly damaged,” official sources said.
“If water stays in the field for more than three days, it would be difficult to save the crops. If the yield loss is more than 33 per cent, the crops are considered damaged. Rainwater has inundated millets (11,998 ha), oilseeds (3,867 ha), pulses (11,461 ha), cotton (7,166 ha) and sugarcane (12 ha).”
On whether the losses caused to standing crops would have an impact on the overall agricultural production in the current year, officials replied in the affirmative. “But, it depends on what type of crops farmers cultivate just after draining the water.
A clear picture will emerge by the year-end,” sources added. Horticulture Department officials said rains have inundated crops like banana (1,000 ha), vegetables (6,700 ha), flowers (330 ha), spices and medicinal plants (2,900 ha) and betelvine (14 ha). Crops in Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Thoothukudi, Sivaganga, Kallakurichi, Villupuram and Virudhunagar are badly affected. Field officers are in touch with farmers on how to revive the crops once the water is drained.