Paddy cultivation is set for a brisk start in Thanjavur and Thiruvarur districts, the core delta region, in the wake of the hope expressed by Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, M. R. K. Panneerselvam that the normal extent of three lakh acres could be covered for kuruvai crop State-wide.
According to official sources, normally 1,35,000 hectares in seven out of 12 districts in delta region would be brought under the kuruvai crop with Thanjavur-Tiruvarur districts accounting for 55 to 60 per cent of the cultivable area.
Farmers, particularly those having their landholdings in old Cauvery delta areas such as Thirukattupalli, Thiruvaiyaru, Kumbakonam and Aduthurai in Thanjavur district and Kudavasal, Nannilam and Mannargudi in Tiruvarur district enjoy the additional benefit of groundwater irrigation facility and usually stick on to the customary dates for kuruvai cultivation.
Though the farmers in these areas have been in an advantageous position due to irrigation facility, they have to manage problem of manpower shortage. The services of farmhands are vital right from raising of the nursery to transplantation to the stage of panicle initiation, said V.Sankaran of Thirukattupalli.
Now, with the Agriculture Minister himself expressing confidence that achieving the normal kuruvai coverage would not be an issue in view of the increasing mechanisation activity in agricultural operations, G. Srinivasan of Ganapathi Agraharam, a progressive farmer has called upon the government to initiate necessary steps to make available agricultural machines such as transplanting machines, paddy driers etc., at an affordable rent through the Agriculture Engineering Department or disburse such machinery to farmers at 100 per cent subsidy.
Urging the government to double the subsidy amount for mechanised agriculture operations, Sundara Vimalanathan, secretary, Thanjavur District Cauvery Farmers Protection Association, emphasised that at least two pesticide sprayers should be made available for rent at every village and as well as five drones per union for spraying of pesticides/fertilizers.