Heavy rains in several parts of Tamil Nadu affect paddy harvest, storage

Even as the Meteorological Department has predicted the arrival of monsoon in Tamil Nadu by the last week of October, cyclonic depressions have led to heavy rains in many parts of the state

Even as the Meteorological Department has predicted the arrival of the northeast monsoon in Tamil Nadu by the last week of October, cyclonic depressions have led to heavy rains in many parts of the state.

In the districts of Erode, Namakkal, Thanjavur, Salem and Tiruvannamalai where Kuruvai paddy cultivation is done, incessant rains have taken a toll on the harvesting of paddy and storing of the harvested crop. With the incessant and continuous rains, many paddy fields are inundated leading to the harvesting machines not being operated due to the water stagnation in the fields.

Another issue that is creating heartburn for the farmers is the Direct Procurement Centres not buying the paddy citing the increase in moisture content. The DPCs have told farmers that the moisture content has overshot the stipulated 17 per cent and that the paddy has to be dried and then sold. With incessant rains, this will not happen and paddy in large volumes is bound to be lost.

R. Sukumaran, a Kuruvai paddy farmer in Thanjavur, told IANS that already the farmers in many parts of the taluk were not able to sell the paddy as DPCs were not taking the crop citing that the moisture content is above the stipulated percentage.

"With the heavy rains since Saturday till now, the possibility of these harvested crops being bought by the DPCs is becoming a mirage."

A group of farmers has also sought support from the Central government to relax the moisture content to 20 per cent so that the DPCs could buy the crop.

However, a group of farmers who have just sowed the Samba cultivation welcomed the rains as the fields were non-irrigated and the heavy rains have given them hope that the cultivation would take off.

Erode, Namakkal, and Salem districts witnessed heavy rains since Saturday. However, no untoward incidents have been reported from these districts.

The average rainfall in Namakkal district was 63.16 mm while that of Erode district was 54.60 mm and that of Salem 29.51 mm.

The copious rains have led to almost all the reservoirs in the state getting ample water before the northeast monsoon.

--IANS

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