Buoyed by better showers, State authorities anticipate bumper crop

CHENNAI: Riding on the back of excessive showers across the State and a favourable Northeast monsoon ahead, authorities of the Agriculture Department are hoping for a bumper crop during the current season as agricultural activities have picked up pace over the recent weeks.

With the food grain production plummeting to 60.32 lakh metric tonnes during 2016-17 due to severe drought triggered by failure of the monsoon and unavailability of water in the Cauvery River, Tamil Nadu experienced the worst phase in recent years after steadily recording food grain production above 100 lakh metric tonnes.

Now, hoping for a good season with monsoons bringing rains as predicted, the Agriculture Department has set a target of 100 lakh metric tonnes for 2017-18. The State has recorded 397.5 mm precipitation from January to September 26, which works out to 31 per cent more than the normal of 302.05 mm for the period.

Agricultural activities have already gathered pace with the concerned authorities inspiring the farmers to take up preparatory works for the ambitious Samba season, which mainly relies on the Northeast monsoon.

“Our main advice to farmers is to plough the land and start sowing of paddy and millets. Field officials are encouraging farmers to take up cultivation,” a top official of the Agriculture Department told Express on Tuesday.

Paddy and millets are the main crops raised during the Samba season across the State, particularly in the Delta region. Out of the 47 lakh hectares targeted for crop production in the current year, Samba cultivation will cover approximately 14 lakh hectares, with about 30 lakh farmers going for food grain production, the official said.

The authorities are hopeful of exceeding the target of 100 lakh metric tonnes of food production.
Explaining the promotional activities of the Agriculture Department to encourage food grain production, the authorities noted that 50 per cent subsidy for seeds and an equal amount of input subsidy are being provided to farmers.

These apart, ploughing subsidy of Rs 1,250 per hectare and Rs 4,000 per hectare for machine planting are being offered under the Mission for Sustainable Dry Land Agriculture (MSDA).