THANJAVUR: With samba paddy harvesting almost complete in the district, it’s a rush for traders – mostly from other districts – to procure available paddy straw (hay), a byproduct, from farmers, which, in turn, is fetching the latter higher profits. S Sivakumar, a farmer from Manathidal, said, “Paddy straw is being procured by traders from other districts including Salem, Karur, Madurai and Ariyalur.”
As there are not much head of cattle in villages now, the straw is being sold to other districts where it is mostly used as fodder, he reasoned. The straw is also being bought by traders from Salem and Namakkal area for mushroom cultivation, other farmers said. Mentioning farmers getting up to Rs 150 per bundle of straw, R Sukumaran of Kakkarai said, "As the harvest is coming to an end and only two or three farmers in a village are having straw, there has been a good demand." S N Raj, a farmer from Ayyampettai said he sold paddy straw at Rs 100 per bundle which he mentioned was normal price.
"Some farmers even got up to Rs 120," he added. Further, pointing out that he got 45 bundles of straw per acre as the paddy variety he cultivated was usually short in height, Raj said farmers get even up to 60 bundles for varieties with longer stalks. "For bundling the straw farmers have to give Rs 35-Rs 40 per bundle to bundling machine operators," Raj also said. Meanwhile farmers from Tiruvaiyaru said lower prices are being quoted for their paddy straw.
"Some farmers are selling it for as low as Rs 60 per bundle," said Sivakumar of Manathidal. During the last season farmers in the region got as much as Rs 100 per bundle, he added. He attributed the cause to middlemen who take a sizable ‘cut’.