The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Nature hits farmers for third consecutive time

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Tuesday, Dec 16, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Nature hits farmers for third consecutive time

M. Balaganessin

In Kallanai Kaalvai irrigation area of Pudukottai district

— Photo: M. Moorthy.

UNSTINTED EFFORT: A farmer taking saplings to his field near Perunkulam in Pudukottai district on Monday.

PUDUKOTTAI: Farmers of Kallanai Kaalvai irrigation area in the coastal villages of Pudukottai district have borne the brunt of the nature’s vagaries for the third consecutive time this season and have resorted to yet another fourth attempt for raising the crop.

Many farmers point out that they adopted direct sowing of seeds in their initial two attempts in late August and early October. The crop failed — first time, owing to inadequate rain and secondly, owing to washing away of the seeds because of the poor or scanty rainfall.

They adopted transplanting the saplings in early November. “But the torrential showers in the last week of November totally damaged the crop,” said M. Ganesan, a progressive farmer of Perunkulam near Tirupuvanavasal, about 90 km from here, who had unsuccessfully raised the samba thrice in his 15 acres of fields.

He had incurred a heavy loss of about Rs.3 lakh towards ploughing, purchase of seeds in the initial two attempts and nurseries for the third trial. He planned to raise the crop for the fourth time, with an additional investment afresh.

The coastal villages in Perunkula; Peraanur; Sathedi; Pon Siruvarai and Alamangalam are brimming with renewed agricultural activity, with farmers re-raising the saplings.

The president of the federation of the Kallanai Kaalvai Ayacutdars’ Associations, A. Ramasamy, says that the State Government should sanction special relief to the farmers, considering the serious consecutive loss incurred by them thrice.

Tractors, mini-vans and other vehicles are seen laden with nurseries of samba, being transported from nursery farms to distant villages.

Scarcity of labour for transplanting the saplings has been yet another problem for these farmers.

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