Farmers growing vegetables in Marungapuri have incurred a huge loss due to failure of monsoon.
Although the Marungapuri block has the capability to supplement irrigation through its groundwater potential, it was insufficient following depletion in groundwater table.
Marungapuri is a major horticultural belt and it is blessed with red-loam soil, suitable for vegetables, coconuts and chillies. “We did not expect that the snake-gourd yield will be hit to such an extent that we have no hope of harvesting it any longer during the rest of the season,” says Swamikannu, who had raised the crop on about one cent of his field. Both the size and the quantity of snake gourd had registered a dip this season.
P. Pazhanisamy, another farmer of Muthazhwarpartti near Marungapuri, who had cultivated this 60-day crop on 50 cents about two months ago, was pinning hopes on his bore well. Farmers said that adequate relief should be given to horticultural farmers too as they had to invest anywhere around ₹ 10,000 an acre to raise the crop.
