TIRUCHY: Successfully completing the Samba harvest season has been a herculean challenge for Delta farmers -- be it from salvaging crops to finding sufficient farm labourers to harvest paddy. The unseasonal rainfall had made the farmers opt for the old-school manual harvest process, but many found it difficult to get enough farmworkers. The process, apart from being slow, was also back-breaking.
In some parts, there has been more demand for chained harvesters machines. Though paddy crops at many places were ready for harvest, farmers had to wait for the water to drain off completely. Once that happened, came the next challenge -- the use of machines was ruled out as the soil was soggy and their use might damage the crops.
Speaking to TNIE, a senior agricultural official said, "Track-type harvester machine can be used on such wet soil instead of tire type machines. Considering the condition of crops, only some farmers started the harvest process while many are still waiting for the crops to get completely dry. Therefore, using machines on small portions of the field became unaffordable for the farmers. We, therefore, requested them to opt for the manual harvest method to minimise crop damage."
Private harvester machines from other parts of the district were brought to Tiruchy district for Samba harvest. Farmers can contact the agri-engineering department to avail themselves of the services of government-owned harvester machines.
Sugumar, a farmer from Tiruchy, said, "Demand for manual labour is high and we have to wait for two to three days to get help. Just like the old days, we reap the mature paddy saplings, bring them to the 'Kalathumedu' and with the help of separator machines, harvest the paddy. It is a back-breaking task and we have, somehow, finished the Samba season."
On a positive note, Kavitha, an agricultural worker from Tiruchy, said, "Usually after the plantation works, there won't be any demand for us in the fields, apart from weed-removal work. Owing to the unseasonal rain, we are now getting work. Several farmworkers who had left for construction works have returned to the fields as there is demand now."