Image used for representative purposes only. (File photo | PTI)
TIRUCHY: Farmers and officials from the Agriculture Department of Tiruchy have expressed scepticism regarding the special allocation for rice fallow pulses announced by the State Government in the 2022 Agriculture Budget which, they claim, lacks a comprehensive outlook when it comes to ground-level implementation. The Rice fallow pulses scheme was announced by the State Government to promote pulse cultivation and Rs 5 crore has been allotted for it.
Sources from the Agriculture Department said, "We have been giving pulses seeds at 50% subsidy under the Government of India's National Food Security Mission (NFSM) programme, but could support only up to 1.5 lakh acres in the state, whereas the Tamil Nadu Government targeted 5 lakh acres last year. By using both the schemes we are supplying materials to the farmers." A senior official with the Agriculture Department said, "Previously, pulses were being cultivated in around 15,000 acres in the district; under the new scheme, we have set 25,000 acres as the target, and efforts have been carried out to ensure it.
The major reason to promote this after samba cultivation is that it can enhance soil fertility ahead of the next crop season." Under the scheme, farmers can avail of up to 8kg of pulses at `400, but block-level agricultural officials, speaking to TNIE, said that farmers were reluctant to avail of the stock, leaving around 200 tonnes of black gram seeds in disuse.
Farmers' organisations, however, said the scheme lacks outlook when comes to implementation. Pu Vishwanathan, state president of the Tamil Nadu Tank and River Irrigation Farmer's Association said, "A major problem for Tiruchy as well as delta districts is water. The water from Mettur was stopped on January 28 and without water it becomes difficult for farmers to get into pulse cultivation." N Rajendran from the farmers front of Tamil Manila Congress said, "Usually, the ideal time for sowing pulses is three days before Samba harvest.
But with farmers moving from labour intensive to machine harvest in recent years, the machines would spoil their growth, which is another major reason, apart from water scarcity, for not taking up pulse cultivation." He also said,"Implementing such massive programmes requires coordination among farmers at the village level.
Problems usually arise if one farmer in a village decides to go for pulses and another to gingelly. Pulses require water whereas gingelly doesn't, and that creates problems." Market sources said that despite problems in pulse cultivation there was a stable market for it. In Tiruchy, the season for cultivating pulses is from February to April 15.
