Officials said nearly one-third of land under cultivation in Mayiladuthurai, Nagai and Karaikal inundated
Officials said nearly one-third of land under cultivation in Mayiladuthurai, Nagai and Karaikal inundated Photo| Express

Tamil Nadu: Rain sinks 50,000 hectares of samba in coastal delta

Officials said that nearly one-third or 50,000 hectares of the 1,35,000 hectares under cultivation in the region have been inundated.
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NAGAPATTINAM: Farmers in the coastal delta region are worried as sudden, unseasonal rainfall in Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai districts and Puducherry’s Karaikal in the past two days has left their harvest-ready samba paddy under water.

Officials said that nearly one-third or 50,000 hectares of the 1,35,000 hectares under cultivation in the region have been inundated.

In Nagapattinam, a majority of farmers skipped kuruvai cultivation due to the delay in release of Cauvery water from the Mettur dam and have cultivated samba paddy on about 63,000 hectares.

Of this, paddy on around 10,000 hectares has been harvested so far. The remaining is expected to be harvested this month.

The unseasonal heavy rain that lashed the region over the past two days has come as a bolt from the blue.

Officials said nearly one-third of land under cultivation in Mayiladuthurai, Nagai and Karaikal inundated
Tamil Nadu: Delta farmers seek paddy procurement policy

Lower paddy price worries farmers in TN

In Madurai and Ramanathapuram districts, nearly 40,000 and one lakh hectares, respectively, are under paddy cultivation. Apart from conventional varieties, finer paddy varieties like RNR, Ponni and Deluxe are also being sold in open markets.

Usually prices of such fine varieties would be higher in the open market, but this year, prices have witnessed a slight drop from the beginning of the harvest season.

Ravi, a farmer from Ramanathapuram, said, “Compared to last year, prices of paddy per 62-kilo bag has dropped by nearly Rs 300 in the open market. Last year, the prices remained high throughout the season, but this year from the beginning itself traders are offering a lower price which is leaving us worried.

”A Anbarasan, food panel chairperson of MADITSSIA, Madurai, said, “This year, the demand for paddy has slightly dropped in the market, which has also led to drop in prices. Notably Karnataka Ponni, which was at Rs 34 a kg has dropped to Rs 29.5 and BPT sold at Rs 29 per kg has dropped to Rs 23, Aavudaiyarkoil paddy variety, which was being sold for Rs 30.5 per kg, dropped to Rs 25 per kg.”

Parthiban, a rice mill operator in Tiruchy, said, “Many of us had not stocked up paddy last year due to high prices in the market. But this year as the availability of paddy has increased, the prices have dropped and mills are actively procuring paddy.”

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