DHARMAPURI: The recent rain may have given a new lease of life to crops, and people may heave a sigh of relief for getting a break from the heat wave, but dairy farmers are in the lurch due to shortage of hay for their cattle. They have appealed to state government to sell hay at subsidised rate.
In Dharmapuri, most farmers depend on the daily revenue earned from milk production. However, the heat wave and monsoon failure last year resulted in shortage of hay. Farmers said they buy hay from traders who bring it from Tiruvannamalai, Tirupattur, Puducherry, but it is sold at a high price.
Speaking to TNIE, SA Chinnasamy, president of the Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam said, “Dharmapuri district has over 3,75 lakh cattle and over 1.25 lakh litres of milk is produced every day. During summer, there is a 20% dip in milk production. So the revenue for farmers also falls. Over the past few months the price of hay had been increasing and now it is sold at `200 per 30-kg roll. In February it was sold for `120.”
M Selvaraj, a dairy farmer in Nallampalli said, “The monsoon failure last year impacted cultivation severely. Last year, paddy was cultivated only in 5,000 acres and this was insufficient to produce hay for the district’s needs. We urge the Dharmapuri administration to provide hay at cheaper prices,” he said.
The regional joint director of animal husbandry department , R Saminathan said, “Hay shortage in Dharmapuri is the result of poor rainfall last year. It is usual for Dharmapuri to import hay, but due to the higher demand in other markets the price has risen. We have forwarded the farmers’ request to the government. Based on the directive we will do the needful.”