Thanjavur traders record brisk sales, courtesy increase in kuruvai paddy acreage

THANJAVUR: Traders across the district are reporting brisk sales for Deepavali, and they attribute it not only to the further relaxation in Covid-19 norms after two years but also to the increase in the coverage of kuruvai paddy cultivation and transplanting work for samba and thalady paddy having commenced.

Fabric showrooms at Gandhiji Road in Thanjavur and street vendors have been witnessing heavy rush over the past few days. Similar is the case with the main Deepavali flea market area in Kumbakonam town which extends from the old fish market to Mottai Gopuram in Thanjavur Main Road.

"Those farmers who have harvested kuruvai paddy early and the farm workers employed by them have some cash; hence they are buying things, including fabrics, for Deepavali," said S Kumar, a farmer from Orathanadu. He also pointed out that kuruvai paddy was cultivated over a record 1.82 lakh acres in the district this year, whose harvest is almost over. C Packirisamy, the district secretary of All India Agriculture Workers Union (AIAWU), pointed out as the transplantation of both samba paddy and thaladi paddy are going side by side farm workers had employment for significant days, leaving them with cash in their hands. Hence they are purchasing clothes this Deepavali, he added.

Mentioning this year’s sales to have been very good compared to the last few years, a popular textile trader in Thanjavur attributed it to cash circulation among the farming community in the district. R Sathish a trader from Kumbakonam said the spirit of Deepavali was dampened in the past two years from Covid-19. As this year is “Covid free” and there is some spare cash among farmers and farm workers there is unprecedented rush at the Deepavali bazaar in Kumbakonam, he added.