NAGAPATTINAM: At a time when samba paddy cultivation in the district is yet to gain pace, farmers in Vedaranyam block who commenced seasonal cultivation of the long-term variety over around 10,000 hectares in the past one month by solely relying on rainfall are a worried lot as the fields are drying up without water.
According to the Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department, Vedaranyam block – where a majority of the samba and thaladi cultivation is rain-fed owing to lack of access to River Cauvery’s distributaries and channels – has paddy seeds sown over 7,351 hectares this time.
The department expects 12,854 hectares in the block to come under samba cultivation and 114 hectares under thaladi paddy. Of the total target acreage of 69,000 ha for samba and thaladi cultivation, the seasonal paddy has been taken up over about 23,660 hectares in the district so far. S Meganathan, a 47-year old farmer from Aadhanur in the block, said he sowed CR-1009 paddy about ten days ago.
The crop is a long-term variety which can be harvested only after around 150 days. “There has not been any rain since. My field is drying up. I have availed of a loan; I am worried about my cultivation,” he said. S Vetriyazhagan, a 42-year-old farmer from Andarkadu, said, “I have 100 kilograms of long-duration ADT- 51 to cultivate over a hectare for samba.
I, however, have not sown them yet. I will do so if it rains because I do not wish the seeds to be blown away in gust.” Another farmer, R Sivaji (60) of Karuppampulam said, "We keep ploughing and preparing the fields expecting rain every day.
Instead we are disappointed with gust. We may have to shorten the duration and use a variety with a shorter term if rains are delayed." When contacted, an agriculture official said, "As Vedaranyam farmers are primarily dependent on rainfall, we expect them to cultivate accordingly and choose the paddy variety wisely taking into account available duration."