MAYILADUTHURAI: The hard-earned paddy crops germinating in the fields before harvesting have left several farmers of Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai distraught. Next to inundation and crop lodging, ‘germination’ has turned out to be the next biggest problem.
Germination is a condition where radicles (roots) and plumules (shoots) start surfacing from the grains, which are yet to be harvested, and grows into plants of its own. Dr V Kannan, an agronomist from ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra, said, “Germination triggering in ripened paddy crops is caused by moisture due to inundation. Once radicles and plumules start germinating, it is not fit for harvest and marketing.
If the germinated paddy grain is sown and re-cultivated, the crop growth will not become successful. Prevention is the only way to save the paddy crops. The farmers should drain the fields, and allow sunlight exposure and aeration immediately.” SN Sekar, a farmer from Maraiyur village in Mayiladuthurai, said, “It seems the final nail in the coffin. Hundreds of acres in our village have witnessed germination.”
PR Pandiyan, General Secretary of Tamizhaga Kaveri Vivasayigal Sangam, said, “The State government should declare the delta districts affected by rains as ‘disaster-hit’ and not go with ‘test harvest’ for providing crop insurance as the sampling of a less affected area would not reflect the damage on worse affected areas.”
Farmers are unsure of maintaining or bringing back the moisture content percentage to around 17 %, which is the maximum allowance for availing minimum support price. They earlier appealed to relax moisture content percentage to 22 %. Also, they have requested to open DPCs for procurement.
TNCSC officials told TNIE that 53 DPCs in Mayiladuthurai and 67 DPCs in Nagapattinam would be opened, but germinated paddy would not be procured. “We had recently appealed to FCI to request for moisture content relaxation up to 22 %. FCI agreed to relax up to 20 %. We cannot relax beyond it and cannot accept the wetter grains, “ said K Shanmuganathan, TNCSC official.