Following the release of water from Vaigai dam, a section of farmers have started paddy transplantation for the ‘kuruvai’ crop in the double crop region of Madurai district.
Collector S. Aneesh Sekhar inspected a field at Karuppayurani where the transplantation of paddy crop was in progress.
Water was released from Vaigai dam on June 4 to irrigate 45,041 acres of ayacut in the double crop areas between Peranai in Dindigul district and Kallandhiri in Madurai district.
In Madurai district, a majority of the double crop areas fall within Vadipatti, Alanganallur, Madurai East and Madurai West blocks.
After many years, water was released for irrigation of the first crop in the double crop region in the first week of June. This will ensure that the farmers can harvest two crops this year.
Joint Director of Agriculture T. Vivekanandan said that the target was to cultivate 3,300 hectares during the ‘kuruvai’ season in Madurai district. “But we expect around 4,000 hectares of paddy to be raised this season,” he said.
Mr. Vivekanandan said that the farmers had been instructed to raise paddy varieties with short gestation of up to 105 days. “This is to ensure that the farmers can harvest the crop before the onset of north-east monsoon,” he said.
M. Tirupathi, a farmer from Kulamangalam, said that some farmers who had prepared nurseries long before the release of water from Vaigai dam, are now involved in paddy transplantation. “But paddy transplantation will happen in full swing from next week,” he said.
Some farmers have also raised nurseries through the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method. One such farmer is S. Dharmaraj from Karuppayurani who said that the yield was higher when paddy was cultivated using this technique. Mr. Tirupathi, however, said that farmers were facing issues in obtaining loans from Primary Agricultural Cooperative Banks.
