RAMANATHAPURAM: District collector B Vishnu Chandran on Friday said more than 13,000 hectares of chilli crop, 9,000 hectares of paddy, and 800 hectares of coriander have been inundated in the recent downpour. He urged farmers to start second-crop cultivation as all water bodies in the district have a good amount of water.
"The actual crop damage can be assessed only after enumeration. The crops that are inundated and cannot be saved can be treated as crop damage. It is likely that once water recedes, paddy crops can be recovered without any damage. Reports about the situation will be sent to the state government soon. As the current season is set to have a successful yield, the district administration has decided to open 100 DPCs in the district to procure the paddy. The highest-ever procurement in a year till date was 33,000 tonnes. This year, the district administration has set a target of 1 lakh tonnes this year," added Vishnu Chandran. Trade experts said the available stock would prove sufficient to cater to the market demand.
Official sources said around 12,000 hectares of area was used for second crop cultivation. Crops such as pulse, cotton and oil seed would be mostly cultivated in the second season. During the grievance meeting, as many as 20 sugarcane farmers from Paramakudi demanded to release the incentive of `195 as announced by the state government.
Mayilvaganan of Tamil Nadu Farmers Association submitted a petition urging the district administration to maintain canals in the district and provide crop insurance cover for chilli crops that got damaged five years back.