The Hindu : Front Page : Labour shortage hits rice production

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 16, 2006
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Labour shortage hits rice production

R. Sundaram

ERODE: Erode district is witnessing a drastic fall in rice production owing to labour shortage.

Every year paddy is planted in over 60,000 hectares of land in the district, which is predominantly agrarian. But now paddy cultivation here has started declining and only 45,000 hectares in Erode are under cultivation.

In Erode all crops are raised in over 3.09 lakh hectares of land in Lower Bhavani, Kalingarayan, Thadapalli, Arakkankottai, Amaravathy, PAP and Noyyal ayacuts.

The break-up

Usually farmers raise paddy in over 60,000 hectares of land, sugarcane in 25,000 hectares, millets in 90,000 hectares, cotton 10,000 hectares and groundnut 55,000 hectares.

According to the agriculture department officials, the average rice productivity ranges from 4.5 to 4.8 tonnes per hectare of land and till 2003-2004 the rice production in the district was 2.88 lakh tonnes a year.

The officials said there was a shortfall of 72,000 tonnes. To meet the shortage, they are planning to introduce new varieties of paddy and also three crops a year in all ayacuts. At present two crops are taken in a year in all ayacuts, but in Kalingarayan ayacut some farmers are cultivating three crops.

The officials admitted that the substantial reduction in the cultivable area was because of labour problem. They said labourers have shifted to hosiery industries earning more than what they did from agriculture.

The officials said the farmers have now taken up sugarcane cultivation. Usually in Erode district sugarcane is planted in over 20,000 to 25,000 hectares.

Now the crop has been raised in over 40,000 hectares of land.

"Farmers are not affected by the reduction in paddy cultivable area as they are involved in sugarcane cultivation in 15,000 hectares. But food production has been affected by the labour shortage."

Lower Bhavani Project Ryots Association president C. Nallasamy said: "We are not getting reasonable prices for agricultural commodities, especially for paddy, and many farmers are reluctant to raise paddy. Some keep their lands barren, convert them as house sites and get a good price for the land."

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