CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu is set for a record samba paddy production, especially in delta districts, with the average per hectare productivity crossing six tonnes.

Distribution of quality seeds by the Agriculture department, integrated pest management (IPM) adopted by farmers, ideal weather conditions and uninterrupted water supply from the Mettur Reservoir continuously for 100 days contributed to the record production.

Per hectare productivity used to be about 4.5 to 5 tonnes in the delta districts. It crossed six tonnes this season. In other parts of the State, productivity exceeded seven tonnes.

Farmers this time had gone for CR 1009 variety in many areas, which yielded nine tonnes per hectare, according to an Agriculture official here.

After three years of drought, the delta farmers were able to cultivate both kuruvai and samba. About 4.4 lakh hectares were covered under samba and another 1.05 lakh hectares under thaladi (late samba) in the delta districts.

While 45 per cent of the samba harvest had been completed, 25 per cent of the thaladi had been harvested.

Harvesting is on in full swing and will go on till the middle of April.

After the samba harvest, farmers see good prospects for raising pulses and maize crop, as there will be adequate moisture in the land.

Agriculture Secretary Surjit K. Chaudhary told The Hindu on Friday that paddy cultivation in the State so far had been input driven and not information driven.

New technology

The system of rice intensification (SRI) technology propagated by the department had yielded good results.

The department had convinced the farmers that change of farm practices would increase the yield with less input costs. Department officials were involved in propagating the technology.

The record production in the delta districts is reflected in the samba procurement.

Procurement

On an average 25,000 tonnes are arriving at direct purchase centres of the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation.

So far 6.2 lakh tonnes has been procured in the samba season. This is in addition to the 3.3 lakh tonnes procured during the last kuruvai season. Compared to last year, the total procurement in the current year was two lakh tonnes more.

At the current rate of procurement, the Corporation will purchase about 15 lakh tonnes in the samba season, according to a corporation official.

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