MADURI/RAMANATHAPURAM: Samba cultivation acreage has declined by a whopping 67% until September end of this year in Madurai district compared to the previous year as per a report recently released by the agriculture department. Usually, sowing would begin for paddy cultivation on around 45,000 hectares in September itself. However, with the rainfall being inadequate and the release of Vaigai water delayed, most farmers are playing the waiting game this year. The farmers have demanded the state government to declare their district as drought-hit.
The agriculture report revealed that cultivation work began in just 185 hectares, which enjoy access to prominent water sources, in September. During the same period last year, works had begun in about 553.645 hectares of area. By the end of samba season last year, paddy was farmed on around 45,000 hectares in the district. A senior official from the agriculture department said the works will pick up pace once the northeast monsoon reaches Tamil Nadu by October-end.
Meanwhile, highlighting the acute irrigation crisis, honorary president of the Tamil Nadu Federation of All Farmers Association M P Raman has urged the state government to distribute compensation to the farmers. "Kuruvai and samba seasons have failed this year due to unavailability of water. The government should declare the district as drought-hit and provide relief to the farmers," he requested.
Water shortage has been plaguing farmers in the Ramanathapuram district too. Though most of them had completed sowing works, now with the rains holding back, they fear they have to restart the whole work again. M Gavasker, a farmer and organiser of the RS Mangalam and Thiruvadanai Farmers Association said, "We received decent rains and month and we began sowing work. Farmers have spent an average of Rs 12,000 per acre already. But, the district has not received any rainfall in the past couple of weeks. The farmers will now have to spend a huge sum of money and begin the whole sowing process again."
Farmers to stage a protest on Thursday
The farmers in RS Mangalam and Thiruvadanai have decided to take out a protest at the Thiruvadanai Taluk office on October 12 to urge the state government to provide crop insurance for all farmers. During an association meeting on Sunday, the farmers said more than 57 revenue villages were not provided crop insurance cover this year.
"Allotting insurance cover on the basis of the last five years' harvest average is faulty. Only the present year's cultivation should be taken into account. Also, insurance should be provided through government agencies and not private institutions. Pressing all these demands, we will take out a protest at the Thiruvadanai Taluk office on Thursday," they added.