Gusty winds that accompanied the short spell of summer rain on Wednesday felled standing banana crops, many of them bearing fruits ready for harvests, in hundreds of acres in Tiruchi and Karur districts on Wednesday evening.
The rainfall though not heavy was accompanied by strong winds that destroyed the crops in several villages near Kulithalai in Karur district and in villages in Andhanallur, Musiri and Lalgudi areas in neighbouring Tiruchi district. Banana crop in a few parts of Perambalur, mainly in and around Kurumbalur, were also reported to have been damaged.
While farmers estimate that banana in several hundred acres were destroyed causing heavy losses to the farmers, the Tiruchi MP Su.Thirunavukkarasar called upon the district administration to take up a survey of the damage for sanction of compensation to the affected farmers.
“Crops on hundreds of acres have been destroyed in Tiruchi and Karur districts. Apart from fruit bearing trees which were ready for harvest, young crop at flowering stage have also been damaged in some places,” said Ayilai Siva.Suriyan, district secretary, Tamil Nadu Farmers Association, affiliated to the Communist Party of India.
According to him, banana crop in villages such as Kadiyakurichi, Jeeyapuram, Thiruchendurai, Kodiyalam, Pulivalam, Thiruparaithurai, Sirugamani, Perugamani, Pettabvaithalai in Andhanallur union in Tiruchi district and Nangavaram, Poyyamani, Inungur, Nachalur, Maruhur and other villages in Kulithalai taluk in Karur district have been damaged.
Puliyur A. Nagarajan, president, Farmers Wing, Tamil Maanila Congress, said crops in Lalgudi area have also been destroyed. He claimed that banana trees on about 2,000 acres each in Tiruchi and Karur districts have been felled in the gale.
Banana growers, they said, were already reeling under a sharp fall in the price of fruit this season due to the prohibitory orders in force and the gale has dealt a heavy blow now. “Farmers who had raised Nei Poovan variety, which is in demand in Mumbai, have been delaying the harvest, waiting for the price to appreciate. But they have been hit hard now. Affected farmers should be sanctioned a compensation of ₹3 lakh an acre,” Mr.Nagarajan demanded.
Pointing out banana farmers in the region have been hit hard by natural vagaries in recent years, including gales, drought and Cyclone Gaja, Mr.Siva Suriyan demanded sanction of at least ₹2 lakh an acre to the affected farmers.
Meanwhile, Mr.Thirunavakkarasar in a statement said that there have been reports of large scale damage to the banana crop and called upon the government to sanction adequate compensation to the affected farmers.
Official sources said that a preliminary assessment was on but a full fledged survey has not been ordered yet. Initial estimates indicate that banana trees on about 300 acres could have been damaged in Andhanallur block in Tiruchi district and field officials were engaged in making an assessment in other places, the sources added.
