NAGAPATTINAM: The unseasonal rainfall has caused severe damage to paddy crops on 30,000 hectares across Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai district. Though farmers are badly upset over the unprecedented loss, a small section, however, is glad. Farmworkers, who otherwise do not get much work, are now being engaged by farmers to retrieve crops.
"It would take at least two weeks for the surviving crops to dry. We cannot rely on harvester machines under the current situation as they might simply mow through the lodged crops. So, we have to drop the idea of using machines and instead hire farmworkers," said K Balamurugan, a farmer from Iluppur in Kilvelur block in Nagapattinam district.
Harvest of crops across Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai districts have been unusually delayed. Those who have started manual harvest said they have to rush to save the crops before they germinate. Even as direct procurement centres are opening this week, the manual reaping is likely to fetch only modest returns to farmers.
"We got only about 15 sacks of paddy instead of the usual 25 to 30. Wastage has been more. I was afraid that I could harvest none if I waited to deploy harvester machines," said N Rajendran, a farmer from Melabundanur in Thirumarugal block.
Though farmworkers feel glad about getting some work, they do have a tough task cut out for them. "Spotting healthy crop is like searching for a needle in a haystack. We either have to cut and keep all the crops that have germinated or leave them behind, while reaping the surviving crop," K Selvam, a farmworker from Melabundanur in Kilvelur block said.
Male workers are being preferred over female workers even, though they have to pay more for men. "Even men are finding it tough. It usually takes about three hours for 16 of us to reap an acre of land. It now takes about six hours to complete the work," said K Selvam, a farmworker from Iluppur in Nagapattinam block. "Men are paid Rs 500 a day, while women, Rs 150," said S Prabakaran, a farmworker from Melabundanur in Thirumarugal block in Nagapattinam district.
Demand for second relief tricky to fulfil, say officials
Providing relief to farmers in integrated Nagapattinam district is turning out to be tricky. Officials of the Agriculture Department have said that the sanction of relief is taking time because the demand has come for a second time within a single year.
Around 82,000 hectares in integrated Nagapattinam district were damaged by cyclone Burevi in December 2020 and crop loss due to unseasonal rain in January is 35,700 hectares.
"According to norms, a farmer is eligible for disaster relief only one in a year. We found that in many cases, farmers have faced crop loss twice and have sought relief. We have apprised the government of the situation," said P Kalyanasundaram, Joint Director of the Agriculture Department.
Farmers have, however, urged the government to break the norms and sanction relief like it was done a few years ago. Protests continued across Nagapattinam district demanding speedy conduct of enumeration. A protest took place in Thanikottagam village in Vedaranyam block.
Officials said they have also taken into consideration the coverage under Prime Minister's crop insurance scheme.
Meanwhile, Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi founder and Nagapattinam MLA M Thamimun Ansari, who inspected the fields on Monday, urged the government to declare the crop damage as a national disaster.