NAGAPATTINAM: Even as the Tamil Nadu government announced a crop relief of Rs 20,000 per hectare to farmers affected by the recent unseasonal rains, farmers in the district - claiming the relief to be insufficient - have decided to salvage the remaining crops and sell it to DPCs.
Paddy crops across the coastal delta region are faced with the risk of germination and are vulnerable to pest attacks, farmers rue. MR Subramaniyam, a farmer-representative from Aadhanur near Vedaranyam, said, "The relief amount is insufficient.
So, we have decided to carry on with the harvest process. However, most of the harvest-ready crops have germinated; thus, they are of no use." The farmers have decided to salvage the crops which could be retained and disposed of the germinated grains.
Officials, however, said the grains that have germinated would amount to only a small percentage of the yield. "Draining off water from fields, reaping and drying grains at the earliest could prevent them from pest attacks," said J Akhandarao, the joint director of the agriculture department.
Officials distinguished two types of pests capable of attack - brown plant hoppers and rice ear head bugs, and advised farmers to use Neem oil as a repellant. Earlier, a team from the ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution had conducted inspections to the moisture content in grains stored at the DPCs. The inspection, based on a request by the Tamil Nadu government, revived the farmers' hopes in carrying out the harvest.