THANJAVUR: Samba paddy harvest is yet to pick up in the Cauvery delta districts of Thanjavur and Tiruvarur even as the harvest festival of Pongal passes off. Farmers attribute the delay to late sowing as the cultivation area of kuruvai crop had increased and harvest was not completed as a result of which there was no time to prepare the fields for samba season.
According to officials of the agriculture and farmers welfare department, of the 1.31 lakh hectares of samba paddy cultivated in Thanjavur district so far harvest was over in only 2,200 hectares. Similarly in Tiruvarur district of the 1.46 lakh hectares of cultivated area, only 2,150 hectares have been harvested.
"Farmers in Thanjavur district commenced sowing and raising nursery only after harvest of the kuruvai paddy which was cultivated in double the area in which farmers used to cultivate. This led to the late sowing of the samba paddy. Following this the harvest will also be delayed", said Sami Natarajan, a farmer from Thanjavur district and the general secretary of Tamil Nadu Farmers Association.
P S Masilamani, state general secretary of Farmers Association, and a farmer from Tiruvarur district also cited increase in the area of kuruvai paddy crop for the delay in samba harvest.
He added,"Moreover many farmers lost their young samba paddy due to heavy rain. Following this they had to start sowing afresh. This also resulted in delay in cultivating the crop. Moreover farmers who were apprehensive of more rains chose paddy varieties such as CR 1009 that have longer crop cycle that could withstand water stagnation. This also led to the delay in harvest". According to sources, kuruvai cultivation area in Thanjavur and Tiruvarus stood at 1,56,573 hectares in 2025-26, an increase of 56% compared to the previous year.