Rain raises hopes of paddy farmers in non-delta areas

Farm workers are transplanting samba seedlings in Tiruchi. Photo: B. Velankanni Raj

Moderate and widespread showers in the city on Friday has raised hopes of farmers in the non-delta areas in the district where agricultural operations could not be taken up so far this year because of lack of water for irrigation.

Almost all rain-fed tanks in the district do not have water to sustain the samba crop. After having skipped kuruvai crop in many areas, farmers are pinning their hopes on the samba season.

Although farmers in the canal-irrigated delta areas were able to take up samba cultivation after the release of water from the Mettur Reservoir, those in the non-delta areas are still waiting for rain to begin agriculture operations.

According to Agriculture Department officials, agricultural operations were in full swing in the delta areas where samba paddy is expected to be raised on nearly 35,000 hectares.

The target would be achieved by the end of this month in the canal irrigated areas, they said.

However, they conceded that cultivation was yet to begin in most parts in the non-delta region.

The department was expecting that about 25,000 hectares of land would be covered under samba paddy in the non-delta areas. But so far nurseries had been transplanted on just about 500 hectares because of lack of rains.

The district has recorded a shortfall in rainfall this year too.

The district has received 284.70 mm of rainfall till the end of September against the normal average of 405.40 mm for the period.

The district had received about 270.09 mm till September end last year too, affecting samba cultivation badly. However, Agriculture Department officials are still hopeful that coverage would improve this year.

“The monsoon has just begun and there has been some scattered rain. We are expecting that there will be good rainfall and cultivation will pick up by the end of this month in the non-delta areas,” an officer of the department said.

Farmers are pinning their hopes on the northeast Monsoon.

“The rain so far will not be enough even to prepare the field. Unless the monsoon is good, agriculture will be affected in non-delta areas such as Thathaiyengarpet, Marungapuri, Manapparai, Vaiyampatti, and other places,” said Ayilai Sivasuriyan, district secretary, Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam affiliated to the Communist Party of India.