When the Big Tank and Sakkarakottai kanmai — two major water bodies in the district — went dry in February-end due to failure of monsoon, farmers looking to make quick money cultivated two short-term summer crops on the parched beds.
About 200 farmers from Sakkarakottai, RS Madai and Achadipirambu flocked to the kanmai, while more than 200 from Mudunal, Soorankottai and Achunthanvayal took up cultivation in Big Tank.
They ploughed their ‘land-holdings’ and dug out pits for seeding. They used the lower parts of the tanks for cultivating bitter gourd and the elevated area for cucumber. As the soil in the tank beds was highly fertile, they never had to used chemical fertilizers.
The plants grew fast, thanks to the wet condition of the soil, and were ready for harvest after 40 days. The harvest continued for the next two months and the markets were flooded with the two vegetables.
The yield increased after the tanks received a couple of showers. The picking, depending on wet condition, continued till May-end, said Muniasamy, a farmer from RS Madai.
Cucumber was cultivated in two to five acres, with farmers spending about ₹3,000 per acre for ploughing and seeding. The income was ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 per acre and went up to ₹20,000 after the wet spell. On an average, they cultivated about six tonnes of cucumber in an acre, Muniasamy added.
Retail vendors, mostly women, visited the fields and bought the vegetables to sell them at bus stands, railway stations and market areas.
Traders also made purchases for markets in other areas such as Paramakudi, Sivaganga, Karaikudi and Madurai.
While the farmers sold six cucumbers for ₹10, the vendors sold them at double the rate. The cultivation benefited women at large. After buying cucumber for ₹500, women vendors earned about ₹1,000 per day, said Boopathy Ammal from Ammankoil.
