Sunflower cultivation shrinks in Tiruchi

Sunflower cultivation has come down in parts of the district owing to poor returns and problems caused by parrots and peacocks.

Farmers in and around Podhavur, parts of Thuraiyur, Thathaiengarpet and Uppliyapuram blocks have been raising the crop, coinciding with ‘Vaikasi pattam’ and ‘Karthigai pattam’.

The crop is mainly cultivated in areas where pump set rrigation is available, according to official sources. Sunflower has an assured market and is purchased by traders in Vellakovil. One problem associated with the crop is that it is not grown in clusters, but spread over sporadically in Tiruchi district.

According to official sources, the area has reduced from about 2,000 acres about five years ago to just 500 acres. The sources said that prospective returns from maize and cotton cultivation have forced farmers to switch over from sunflower.

Parrots and peacocks caused extensive damage, particularly when the harvest neared completion. The per acre yield stood at about 30 kg. Patronage from traders in Vellakovil encouraged the conventional farmers to raise the crop.

A.Nagarajan, a progressive farmer of Inampuliyur, who had cultivated the crop last season, said he had switched over to green gram this season, as it fetched attractive returns.