Farmers’ representatives of the district have appealed to the district administration to take steps for the supply of hay to livestock, taking into consideration serious scarcity of fodder. They said that livestock owners would be forced to sell their cows or buffaloes under duress condition.
Speaking at the farmers’ grievances day meeting here on Friday, G.S. Dhanapathy, District Chairman of Farmers’ Forum of India, said that farmers of Pudukottai, Tiruvarangulam, and Gandarvakottai were put to great hardship because of non-availability of hay.
There was panic buying of hay from Avudaiyarkovil and Aranthangi blocks where paddy farmers had harvested their fields.
S. Ganesh, District Collector, said he would take action for the supply of hay to the farmers at a fair price.
In response to a plea by Mr. Dhanapathy for starting a marketing complex for banana, an official from Agriculture Marketing and Agri Business said it had been planned to start marketing complex at the regulated marketing committee in Alangudi on a trial basis. Based on its success, it would be regularised with full-fledged infrastructure including own building.
When a farmer Durai Manickam complained that the relief to paddy farmers and sugarcane growers had not been disbursed under the crop insurance scheme, an official from the Cooperative Department promised prompt action.
M. Madhavan, district secretary of the Tamil Nadu Farmers’ Welfare Association, said that the district administration should take action for value-addition in cucumber. Although a large area had been brought under cucumber cultivation, farmers were unable to market the produce for attractive price.
The Collector said the district had realised 751.03 mm of rain in 2014 against the normal 925.92 mm. Adequate fertilizer – 969 tonnes of DAP, 869 tonnes of urea, 1,453 tonnes of potash, and 1,113 tonnes of complex, had been stocked at the godowns. He appealed to farmers to go in for conventional minor millets such as ‘ragi’, ‘cumbu’, maize and ‘kuthiraivali’ for which seeds had been stocked at the Agriculture Extension centres.
Owners forced to sell cattle in distress sale
A marketing complex planned at Alangudi
