TIRUCHY: What should have been a season of joy for Delta farmers has turned out to be a stressful one. Harvest of Samba paddy, which should have been completed by now, is yet to kick-off owing to the unseasonal rainfall. With a major portion of the paddy being damaged by the rain, the open market paddy price has fallen below Rs 900, putting farmers in distress.
According to the Agriculture Department, it started off looking like one of the largest Samba seasons ever with 43,000 hectares under cultivation in Tiruchy. Rain left crops on over 3,500 hectares in the district damaged. Though complete damage was minimal when compared with other delta districts, the wrath of the unseasonal rain was still evident.
Apart from delaying the harvest, the showers also increased moisture content in the paddy. Speaking to TNIE, a senior official said, "Nearly 70 per cent of the Samba crops would be harvested by the third week of January. But, harvest has started on only 15 per cent of the total area. Many farmers are still waiting for the fields to get dry."
Chitrarasu, regional manager of Civil Supplies Department, said, "Out of the proposed 60 direct procurement centres, about 11 have been opened in the district for procuring Samba paddy. The moisture content for paddy should be 17 per cent (for delta its 17 - 20 per cent). The price for paddy stays at Rs 19.18 per kg for normal type and Rs 19.58 per keg for smaller types. Additional DPCs will be opened if needed."
Parthiban, a rice mill owner from Tiruchy, said, "The quality of paddy with increased moisture content is lower than usual. Usually, people purchase only older rice. So, we have to keep the current batch in stock for three to four months. During that time, the moisture content will reduce affecting the weight, and in turn, giving us a loss. The paddy has to be purchased either at Rs 850-900 rupees per bag (62 kg) or we have get it from farmers from other States. During the previous Samba season, the price was Rs 1,000 to Rs 1100 per bag."
Several mill owners said that owing to the demand, they might have to bring better quality paddy from other States for processing, which might end up in a price rise.
Ayilai Sivasooriyan of Tamil Nadu Farmers' Association said, "All the hard works for more than 100 days hangs in balance, as the open market price for paddy has dropped below Rs 850 per bag. We request the Civil Supplies Department to open more DPCs and start procurement."