NAGAPATTINAM: Farmers of the district demand the agriculture department to stock adequate amount of certified seeds required for short-, medium- and long-duration crops in each season to prevent shortage of seeds in future.
The demands have arisen after shortage of long-duration varieties of paddy seeds this year. After River Cauvery water reached Nagapattinam in the first week of August, the farmers in the district looked forward to starting their samba paddy cultivation.
Many of them missed their kuruvai paddy cultivation completely due to lack of availability of Cauvery water on time in earlier months. Many wanted to use a long-duration variety so that they can harvest by January. However, there is a shortage of long-duration seeds (155 days) currently in agricultural extension centres in the district, forcing many farmers to buy from private traders.
Those in short supply include the CR-1009 variety, popular among farmers for its flood resistance and its high yield. “I bought the seeds of CR-1009 variety at double the rate from private traders since they were not available at the local agricultural extension centres,” said D Olichandran, a farmer from Vaimedu in Vedaranyam block.
Many farmers are also opting for medium-duration variety seeds (135 days) for samba paddy cultivation this year due to shortage of long-duration varieties. A senior official from the agriculture and farmers’ welfare department said, “There was less production of long-duration varieties last year.
Since there is a complete shortage of CR-1009, we supplied the other long-duration variety ADT-51 for about 200 tonnes.” The shortage of long-duration seeds allegedly arose due to lack of production last year due to issues such as the Cauvery water crisis.
Many farmers opted for medium- (135 days) and short-duration (110 days) varieties even last year due to apprehensions over lack of water for irrigation for long duration (155 days). The farmers are demanding to stock adequate amount of seeds at the district level generated in one season to prevent the shortage in the next season or next year.
‘Cauvery’ V Dhanabalan, the leader of Kaveri Vivasaayigal Paathukaapu Sangam, said, “The agriculture department is directed to stock a minimum of 16% of seeds in each season. However, the stipulated amount (16%) is still seeds for a combination of long, medium and short duration.
Instead, the department should rather stock a minimum 16% for each duration such as 16% for short duration, 16% for medium duration and 16% for long duration.”