With the north-east monsoon active, irrigation tanks and lakes in Thoothukudi have reached the maximum capacity, the Department of Agriculture plans to achieve ‘pisanam’ paddy cultivation on 45,700 acres this year though it used to be only 31,926 acres during this season.
Moreover, farmers, buoyed by the active monsoon, have taken up cultivation of grams, millets and other horticultural crops on 2.12 lakh acres.
After a gap of three years, all tanks – both systemised and rain-fed – are getting good influx of water, thanks to an active monsoon. Moreover, Papanasam, Manimuthar and Servalar dams that collectively determine paddy cultivation area in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts show positive signs of bringing in decent influx of water this monsoon.
Hence, the Thoothukudi farmers, who did not raise paddy last year owing to poor rains, have already completed paddy cultivation on 500 acres while nurseries have been raised on another 250 acres, which means that area under paddy cultivation will increase vastly within the next fortnight.
Eye on target
“We’re hopeful of achieving paddy cultivation area target as water for irrigation will not be a problem this time,” said agriculture officials.
As the monsoon started on a positive note in the second week of October, farmers whose fields were far away from Tamirabharani watercourse concentrated on raising rain-fed crops such as grams, millets and other horticultural crops. When the rain continued, farmers, with added confidence, have started expanding the area of cultivation of these minor crops.
Farmers usually cultivate millets on just over 1.40 lakh acres, only if the monsoon is active. Since the district, especially the northern and western parts, have been blessed with widespread rainfall so far, cultivation of millets had been taken up on 1.07 lakh acres while the target is 1.33 lakh acres. Of this, corn has been cultivated on 81,800 acres, sorghum on 14,866 acres and bajra (kambu) on 11,000 acres.
Fall Armyworm attack
Though Fall Armyworm attack in corn that destroyed the crop completely last year had affected 20% area of cultivation this year, preventive measures had encouraged the farmers to go in for cultivation this season. “Since we’ve already covered 75,614 acres by aerial mass spraying of pesticides to neutralise Fall Armyworm attack in corn, the attack is manageable this year. Hence, we are hopeful that we can achieve the target this year,” the officials say.
On the cultivation of grams, officials said farmers had completed cultivation on 1.05 lakh acres against the target of 1.91 lakh acres. Of this, black gram has been cultivated on 61,233 acres and green gram on 43,935 acres.
Since the farmers are preparing for another round of cultivation of grams, the officials are hopeful of achieving the target in gram cultivation also.
As usual, cotton has been cultivated so far on 7,660 acres against this year’s target of 22,487 acres and cultivation of other horticultural crops in the traditional areas like Vilathikulam, Ettayapuram and Ottapidaram areas has also picked up.
“Farmers have been asked to pay the crop insurance premium within th deadline to save themselves from possible crop loss due to vagaries of nature. Most of the farmers have paid the insurance premium,” officials said.
