Farmers in the delta region have strong reservations about the claim of officials that they are anticipating a bumper paddy harvest in the current season.
“Contrary to expectations, the heavy rains in the final phase of the season have damaged the crops instead of boosting the yield. This situation has pushed the farmers to a distress situation,” V. Kannan, vice-president of the Cauvery Delta Farmers’ Welfare Association, told The Hindu .
In addition to unseasonal rains, short supply of urea stunted the yield prospects and affected the quality of gains. For instance, during the normal season when rain and other factors remained favourable and stable, the farmers could get 25 to 30 bags of paddy (each weighing 60 kg) from an acre. However, in the current season they could hardly get 15 to 20 bags. The steep fall in the production had caused a dent in their income. The quality of the grains had a deleterious impact on the price front.
Therefore, the farmers also faced an adverse market condition in which the price of paddy registered a downward trend. Last year, the BPT variety paddy fetched Rs. 1,000 for a 60-kg bag. But, the farmers could get only about Rs 900 for a bag of paddy now which could hardly meet the cost of production. The prime factor that greatly cut down the yield was the non-availability of urea in the right quantity and at the right time.
Mr. Kannan pointed out that following the direction of the Centre that the rice mills ought to switch from naphtha to natural gas for fuel requirements, major fertilizers companies such as Madras Fertilizers, Mangalore Fertilizers and SPIC Fertilizers had almost ceased production.
Ever since the farmers moved from the conventional to “so-called modern farming techniques,” their dependence on fertilizers had become inevitable. Therefore, at a time when the farmers needed urea the most it went scarce.
“The government would come to know about the gravity of the situation only when the actual yield level is known at the end of the current harvesting season,” Mr. Kannan said.
“Heavy rains in the final phase of the season have damaged the crops instead of boosting the yield”
