Farmers in rain-fed areas are very busy preparing field to raise at least one crop, mostly pulses, cotton and maize, utilising the sharp showers that rocked the district for the past one week.
Thousands of hectares of rain-fed land remain barren since last year owing to failure of monsoon. Early rain in August encouraged several farmers to kick-start farm work. Agriculture activities are in full swing in Reddiyarchatram union as farmers are busy ploughing the field to raise cotton in this season.
Tractors are ploughing a large tracts of black cotton soil land, ideal for raising cotton, at several pockets in Reddiyarchatram union.
Intermittent showers would suffice to raise the crop to a certain level. One or two showers in subsequent phases would protect the crop till harvesting, said S. Kandhasamy, a cotton grower in Reddiyarchatram.
Besides the rain, stable and better procurement price for cotton too lures several farmers to raise cotton. At present, cotton is being procured at ₹6,000 per quintal. Normal production per acre is 10 quintal. Yield could increase up to 15 quintals depending on crop care and sizeable rain. Cotton growers can get an income of ₹40,000 per acre, after deducting production expenses of ₹20,000.
Even as farmers are hoping for better rain in August, agriculture officials have advised farmers to start cultivation in September-end as the north-east monsoon would commence between September and October only.
Joint Director of Agriculture M. Thangasamy told The Hindu that farmers, who have support irrigation system like well, could start cultivation now itself because cotton was a 150-day crop. Cotton growers should complete harvesting by January-end. Inordinate delay in sowing would push harvesting period to March. It would be difficult for farmers to protect the crop in summer.
“We have been advising farmers in rain-fed areas to wait till September-end or go for short-term crop like pulses (60-day crop). If there were no rain in the first week of September, standing crops would be affected,” he pointed out.
However, maize growers plan to wait till October for continuous rain as maize is 110-day crop. More than 45,000 hectares is under maize cultivation in Palani and Oddanchatram unions. Most of the areas are rain-fed ones.