TIRUCHY: Though the targetted area for food grain cultivation fell short by 9,000 hectares, overall cultivation in terms of harvest volume is expected to be above the target. However, in the non-delta blocks, reduced water availability continues to haunt farmers and they are looking at any option to complete the season.
This season has been a vast improvement over the past couple of years. The arrival of Cauvery water and decent rainfall allowed farmers to make the best of the situation with irrigation throughout the season. More farmers cultivated samba paddy compared to last year. Paddy alone was cultivated on 48,000 hectares in the district.
However, despite being a solid season, overall area under food grain cultivation in the district faced a slight dip this year. While the actual target for the year was 1.19 lakh hectares, the Agriculture department could only achieve 1.1 lakh hectares this season.
Foodgrains like paddy, black gram, maize and pulses are cultivated in Tiruchy. Of these, only paddy witnessed a good season and many farmers stayed away from cultivating pulses this year.
Speaking to TNIE, Rajeshwaran, Deputy Director, Agriculture department, said, “The targetted overall food grain cultivation area was set at 1.19 lakh hectares and the overall target of cultivation at 4.05 lakh metric tonnes. Though the overall area fell short by 9,000 hectares, with abundant water availability this season, the average yield was considerably more per acre. With more than 75 per cent of the harvest concluded, we are sure food grain cultivation would exceed the target as happened in past years.”
On the flip side, farmers in non-delta blocks like Manapparai, Vaiyampatti and Marungapuri have other things to worry about. Most farmers in these areas started cultivation after receiving proper rainfall. This has extended their season till mid-March. With water stored in irrigation ponds depleting fast, farmers are starting to worry.