KANNIYAKUMARI: Owing to incessant rain over the last two months, farmers said the district is on the cusp of haystack scarcity. They are looking to buy the bundles from other districts at a higher price. Benny from Karancadu said he had to sell two of his five cows. "Last year, the price of one bundle of haystack was Rs 150-Rs 180. Not only the price of paddy has increased, we are not able to buy it locally. I am planning to buy haystack for the cattle from Nagapattinam district," he added.
According to S Esakimuthu from Thittuvilai, who has been cultivating paddy on more than four acres of leased land, the incessant rains affected paddy harvesting and led to a loss in yield. A paddy hay stack trader, G Isaiventhan from Esanthimangalam, said a bundle of haystack weighing 30 to 35 kg was `200 in October last year but is now over `300. "I get around five calls daily from people who are ready to buy hay stacks. However, I do not have it as farmers could not collect the harvest due to rain. I am buying hay stacks from Ramanathapuram," he added.
Chenbagaramanputhur Farmers Association president N Rakkisamuthu said when machines are used to harvest paddy, the collected hay stacks could help farmers recover their expenses. "The delayed monsoon has damaged the hay stacks in the fields. Only a few places went for harvest before rains in the district," he noted.