THANJAVUR: The summer paddy harvest in Thanjavur district is nearing completion, with farmers reporting a decent yield, albeit slightly below expectations. As per official data, the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) has so far procured 70,000 tonnes of paddy during the ongoing harvest season.
According to the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, summer paddy was cultivated across 45,000 acres this year- an increase of 7,500 acres compared to the usual area covered during the season. Paddy sown or transplanted until March 31 is considered part of the summer crop.
Harvest has already been completed in around 42,000 acres, and yield figures suggest moderate success. “In Orathanadu, farmers are getting 30 to 36 bags of 60 kg paddy per acre, with some areas reporting up to 40 bags,” said Sami Natarajan, a farmer from Orathanadu and the state general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Farmers Association. “While this is a decent yield, most farmers had expected around 45 bags per acre,” he added.
Agriculture department officials confirmed that yield averages between 37 and 43 bags per acre across the district.
In terms of weight, this translated to 2,160 to 2,400 kg per acre- an improvement over last year’s yield of 1,800 kg to 2,000 kg per acre.
Paddy procurement is being carried out through 214 Direct Procurement Centres (DPCs) functioning in Thanjavur. TNCSC officials expect procurement to touch between 2.5 lakh and 3 lakh tonnes by the beginning of the Kharif procurement season on September 1.
Officials also noted that some of the early Kuruvai paddy harvests may reach the DPCs before Kharif season begins. From April 1 till date, Kuruvai paddy has already been transplanted in around 85,000 acres. For the current season, paddy is expected to be cultivated on 1.93 lakh acres, supported by favourable water storage levels in the Mettur dam.