RAMANATHAPURAM: Struggling over the failure of the previous season, the recent announcement of declaring 11 blocks in the district as 'moderate drought hit' has made the farmers happy. Despite the district receiving incessant rainfall for consecutive days, farmers are yet to carry out preparatory works in some blocks. However, officials stated that with the summer ploughing having been completed, the preparatory works are likely to conclude before the commencement of samba season (second crop).
According to sources, owing to irrigation woes, more than 70% of the total paddy cultivation in the district withered, leaving farmers in a major financial crisis. "After several months of continuous protest, the district has been announced as a moderate drought-hit area. However, the compensation for the crop loss is yet to be distributed. In such a situation, as the district has been witnessing a series of rainfall (with an average of 13.2 mm and about 63% excessive rainfall in two weeks in the district, as per the Meteorology Department report), still farmers of several blocks are slow to begin the preparatory works this year, especially in the 11 blocks that had faced irrigation woes last year," sources added.
Speaking about this, M Gavaskar, a farmer and organiser of the RS Mangalam and Thiruvadanai farmers association said the failure of the last season has left the farmers in major debt and many haven't been able to even repay the crop loans. "Thus, the farmers are a bit hesitant in starting work this season. Usually, farmers will begin to plough the fields after the first spell of rainfall, but this year we are slightly hesitant to do so. However, we will not give up cultivation works, but will instead start it at a slower pace. We appreciate the announcement of drought-hit areas. We further request the TN government to provide compensation and insurance cover for the farmers, which will solve the financial issues of the farmers. This will also help us begin the works for this season without worries," he added.
A senior official from the agriculture department added that all the farmers in the district had completed summer ploughing for the season earlier in May itself. "The season commences around the last week of August. By then, the farmers would complete the preparatory works and ploughing works based on the arrival of rain. Unlike last year, this year, the Meteorology department has predicted promising rainfall this monsoon. Thus, the farmers can be involved in Samba cultivation," he said, adding that the compensation for the crop damage will be released soon.