The farmers maintaining coconut and arecanut groves in different parts of the district, who were sitting with their fingers crossed due to severe drought conditions prevailing in the district, have got some reprieve with the district experiencing widespread summer showers during last week.
Farmers of Vazhappadi block have raised coconut and arecanut trees in a large number of villages situated on the banks of Rivers Vellar and Vasista and also in the vicinity of Puzhuthikuttai Aanaimaduvu reservoir, Pappanayakkanpatti Kariyakovil reservoir and also near the open wells. Coconut trees have been raised in about 10,000 acres and arecanut in about 15,000 acres in this block alone.
The coconuts of Vazhapadi are in good demand not only in Tamil Nadu, but also in many north Indian states. The repeated failure of monsoon for the past couple of years led to severe drought conditions due to which the coconut trees standing on 3,000 acres and arecanut trees on 5,000 acres withered. The grove owners felled these trees and the logs were sold to the brick kilns for burning the bricks.
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When the farmers had lost the hopes of saving the standing coconut and arecanut trees, the recent widespread rainfall has revived their hopes. The summer rainfall has enabled in recharging the water level in the borewells as well as open wells for saving these trees till the monsoon arrives.
A cross section of the farmers of the villages surrounding Vazhapadi say that they are eagerly waiting for the onset of the monsoon for the further survival of trees.