THANJAVUR: As the early harvest season begins in TN’s rice bowl, farmers in Thanjavur are facing a nearly 50% drop in samba yield due to the unseasonal rain. Samba and thalady paddy have been cultivated on 3,42,973 acres in the district which is nearly 30,500 acres more than the year’s target of 3,12,500 acres.
According to officials, paddy on 6,000 acres has already been harvested in the district. R Sukumaran, a farmer from Kakkarai near Orathanadu, said farmers got only 15 to 18 bags of 60 kg each ( 900 kg to 1,080 kg) of paddy per acre compared to the normal yield of 30 to 45 bags.
Agriculture department officials, however, said that crop cutting trials conducted so far showed a yield of 6,000 kg per hectare. This is approximately equal to 2,400 kg per acre. The unseasonal rain led to pollen shedding in paddy crop which affected the yield, Sukumaran said. Sami Natarajan, a farmer from Thennamanadu village and State secretary of Tamil Nadu farmers association, said there has been a drop in the yield all over the district.
“The crop yield may drop more going forward,” he said. In many areas, standing samba crop in low-lying areas have fallen to the ground and were damaged by the rain, he said. The farmers are also facing problems in selling the harvested paddy.
“In many places Direct Procurement Centres (DPCs) are yet to start functioning”, Sukumaran said. Even in places where DPCs are opened, employees including load men demand bribe, he said. “Though the government has increased the fee for load men from Rs 3.50 to Rs 10 per bag, in some places farmers still have to pay them money,” he said.