The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Tiruchi News : Cloud of doubt hangs over kuruvai prospects

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi

Cloud of doubt hangs over kuruvai prospects

By L. Renganathan

TIRUCHI, APRIL 2 7. The prospect of next kuruvai crop being hit is staring farmers of the Tiruchi region in their face. There is no doubt that the Mettur dam will not be opened for irrigation on the customary June 12, taking into consideration the present abysmal storage and absence of summer showers.

However, a section of affluent farmers, who rely on lift irrigation, especially in parts of Lalgudi and Musiri, hope to initiate the kuruvai endeavour in the last week of May if there are some summer showers.

The continuing drought-like conditions have left farmers with no option but to soldier on gamely. ``We can't allow the fields to be left fallow, despite drought. We will still try to get something out in the fond hope that summer showers will arrive ultimately, even if delayed'', the president of the Cauvery Delta Farmers Welfare Association, G. Kanagasabhai, said.

So, no wonder, farmers go in for some crops, which they normally hesitate to raise. While many prefer green gram and black gram, several farmers are still sceptical of raising gingelley and sunflower. They believe that the nutrient content of the soil will be adversely affected. But farmers in many areas have been forced to go in for gingelley and sunflower as the crops require less water even as they fetch more money than black gram and green gram. The `Chitrai pattam' has seen many farmers going in for gingelley.

On the other hand, farmers, who raised black gram and green gram in the ``Thai/Masi pattam'' have harvested the crop only to find that the yield had almost halved, courtesy the drought-like conditions. ``Usually we could harvest up to 250 kg per acre, but this time around many realised an yield of just around 100 kg'' says Tiripurasundari, an award-winning progressive farmer belonging to Lalgudi.

The continuing drought has taken a toll on the groundwater table all over the district and farmers, even those in the delta areas, have been forced to deepen borewells by at least 10 feet in the last six months. ``If the situation continues, then even those using lift irrigation may feel the pinch then'' Mr. Kanagasabhai, says.

Though productivity has been hit, farmers have not got an enhanced price for their produce. The market price of rice has been pretty stable what with the arrivals from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh bolstering availability. That way too farmers have not gained, they feel. Hay as cattle fodder has become dearer and scarce, adding to the gloom of the farmers. The increased discarding of cattle to the abattoirs is a pointer to the present scene.

In this situation, farmers only hope and pray for summer showers to arrive and sustain them and their cattle till things on the agriculture front improve.

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