With the rains finally bringing in some relief and the Tamil month of Aadi just around the corner, farmers are getting busy once again. As they look up at the skies hoping for good rains, they are buying seeds and fertilizers and ploughing fields.
Many in the rice bowl of the State have ploughed their fields to sow paddy seeds straight rather than prepare nurseries since most borewells have now gone defunct due to lack of water.
People like V.K.V. Ravichandran, founder president, United Progressive Farmers Forum, Nannilam, said they were just waiting for an auspicious day to sow seeds.
“We have been having rains for the last few days. Most farmers in our forum are going for direct sowing since we can reduce about ten days from the duration of the crop. This will also do away with the need for a nursery and the required additional labour,” he said.
Farmer S. Ramanathan from Krishnagiri district said around 75% of farmers in his area who depended on the KRP dam for water had just finished one harvest and were getting ready for sowing. “Since there has been good rains in Karnataka this time, we have received good water. As far as Hosur is concerned, farmers there are into floriculture and they are using borewell water for the flowers,” he said. He said farmers who are dependent on the rains are yet to start work since they haven’t had any rain so far.
Banking on vegetables
Ponn Vilaindha Kalathur farmer V. Parasuraman said farmers in his area were banking on ladies finger and other vegetable crops.
“Ladies fingers are doing well. The rate has not dipped below ₹30 a kg this year. Though there has not been much rain, we can surely make a profit of ₹70,000 per acre. Hybrids will do well this time of the year,” he said, adding that auspicious days are those during which there is good rain.
Meanwhile, since farmers prefer to sow seeds in the Tamil month of Aadi when the weather conditions are said to be conducive for agricultural activities, the Agriculture Department has moved seeds of paddy, vegetables, pulses, millets and oil seeds to agriculture extension centres across the State. “We have ensured that the seeds are certified for quality and for good yield,” explained an official.