Kuruvai harvest has begun in Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts. Kuruvai was raised this year only in pumpset irrigated areas in both the districts. The crop has come for harvest in Orathanadu, Ammapettai, Kumbakonam areas in Thanjavur district and Nannilam area in Tiruvarur district.
Agriculture department officials said that Kuruvai was raised on 28,000 hectares (pumpset irrigated areas) of land in Thanjavur district and 18,500 hectares in Tiruvarur district. Mayilvahanan, Deputy Director of Agriculture, Tiruvarur district, said that the yield was good with respect to Kuruvai in Tiruvavrur district. “Farmers have taken a yield of seven to eight tonnes a hectare,” he said.
Proposal for opening more Direct Purchase Centres of the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) has been submitted by the Agriculture Department. At present, 24 DPCs are functioning in Thanjavur district while 16 are functioning in Tiruvarur district. Paddy would come to these DPCs in large quantity only when harvest picks up. “Harvest so far has been completed only on 90 hectares in Thanjavur district,” officials said.
Kuruvai is a money spinner and farmers use the money got be selling Kuruvai paddy for Deepavali.