NAGAPATTINAM: With timely commencement of samba cultivation in the district this year, farmers, expecting harvesting to hence kick off early in January next year, want the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) to plan and open direct paddy purchase centres (DPCs) accordingly. Following the delayed opening of the Mettur dam for irrigation in the delta region, River Cauvery water that was released on July 28 this year reached Nagapattinam in the second week of August. Heeding to advice, many farmers in the district skipped kuruvai cultivation to directly raise samba paddy instead. Accordingly samba paddy has been cultivated on over 62,000 hectares in the district while about 1,400 hectares is under thaladi cultivation, according to the agriculture and farmers' welfare department.
Taking the advice of the district administration and the agriculture department, farmers began to undertake cultivation of medium- and long-duration samba paddy varieties around September. The crops are expected to mature by the end of December which, in turn, could facilitate commencement of harvesting from the first week of January. Against this backdrop, S Ramadoss, a farmer leader, said, "We demand the district administration and TNCSC to open the DPCS in the first week of January so that we can sell at the centres instead of handing over the harvest to private buyers."
Most paddy farmers in the coastal delta districts prefer selling off their harvest at the earliest to storing and selling them later due to concerns over absorption of moisture during unseasonal rains. This hence influences their preference for private traders. When enquired, a senior TNCSC official said, "We have received forecast for an early harvest in January from Kilvelur block as well as suggestions to open DPCs. We will conduct a meeting with farmers to address their grievances."