: The process of paddy procurement for the ‘puncha’ crop in the district has entered its final stages. With the season nearing its end, several paddy farmers have been facing several hurdles, many being systemic challenges.
According to official statistics, paddy cultivation was undertaken in nearly 28,918 hectares coming under 633 paddy polders across the district. Paddy procurement has been completed in around 70 to 80 per cent of the total area. The total paddy production is expected to be around 1.5 lakh tonnes, an official at the Paddy Marketing Office at Mankombu said.
The procurement efforts were yet to commence in the far-flung ‘kayal’ padasekharams and other areas including Thakazhi, Thalavady, Kainakary, Champakulam, Kavalam, Neelamperoor and Veeyapuram, where harvest has not been completed. While it has been targeted to wind the procurement in Kuttanad by April 20, the completion of the entire process in the district could go on for nearly a month.
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Paddy farmers are in the midst of testing times with the heavy summer rain threatening to bring down the yield in paddy fields during the last stages of the crop season in areas, particularly Veeyapuram and the adjoining areas in Upper Kuttanad. Even while a Supplyco official claimed that the requirement of moisture content below 17 per cent in the paddy was relaxed in a fair manner, concern was rife among farmers that they would receive lesser returns than what they would have received under normal conditions.
The occurrence of the summer rain has resulted in increased demand for combine harvesters from private parties, mainly owing to need of farmers to minimise crop damage. Making the most of the farmers’ plight, the private agents have demanded Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 2,100 per hour, instead of Rs. 1,700 charged earlier. Despite such disadvantages, there are very few takers for machines that were provided by the government. A farmer claimed that the operators of such harvesters usually work only from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., i.e., the work hours of a government office.