NAGAPATTINAM/MAYILADUTHURAI: Samba and thaladi crops cultivated on over 10,000 acres in Mayiladuthurai and 5000 acres in Nagapattinam were inundated due to the continued downpours over the past two days. The crops were in the maturing stage and nearing harvest this month.
"I have cultivated traditional crops like Thooyamalli along with long-duration crops like CR-1009 on around ten acres. I was planning to harvest them after Pongal. But, they became lodged due to rainwater. The crops can be saved only if the rains do not persist," said S Vaithilingam, a farmer from Semangalam village in Sembanarkoil block in Mayiladuthurai district.
Thousands of acres of crops in the milky stage and dough stage, which is the stage before ripening of the crops were also affected. "I have about a month before harvest. However, the rains have water-logged my crops. I'm worried it cannot be revived," said V Mohan, a farmer from Kovangudi in Mayiladuthurai. J Sekar, the joint director of the agriculture department in Mayiladuthurai said, "Crop lodging is abundant across Mayiladuthurai district.
We advise farmers to drain the waters swiftly to avoid persistent inundation." The mature crops in Thirumarugal, Nagapattinam, Kilvelur and Keelaiyur were lodged in hundreds of acres. "I was just relieved that my crops were saved from pig menace. But, the heavy rains have levelled my crops in mature stage to the ground within a day," said N Ram, a farmer from Sangamangalam in Nagapattinam block. K Devendran, the joint director in charge in Nagapattinam district said,
"The rains became beneficial for younger crops while it became adverse for the mature crops. We advise the farmers to follow control measures to prevent inundation in the fields.'" According to the agriculture department, the samba and thaladi paddy cultivations are around 64,000 hectares in Nagapattinam and 69,000 hectares in Mayiladuthurai district.