Paddy cultivation area crosses 8,500 hectare in Tenkasi district

The district has crossed the cultivation of paddy on over 8,500 hectares during the ‘kar’ paddy season, thanks to the decent rainfall during this southwest monsoon and consequent storage level in the five dams in the district.

Presiding over the farmers’ grievances redress meet held on Friday, District Revenue Officer S. Jayachandran said paddy had been raised on 8,551 hectare during this season as the district received decent rainfall during the southwest monsoon. Since the irrigation tanks and the channels had been desilted before the onset of the monsoon, all the ranches received water for irrigation and hence the area of cultivation of paddy had exceeded 8,000 hectares this year.

He also informed that cultivation of millets (4,365 hectare), grams (530 hectare), cotton (532 hectare), sugarcane (658 hectare), oilseeds (1,034 hectare) fruits (9,709 hectare) and flowers (460 hectares) had also achieved the target, thanks to the sporadic showers even in the rain-shadow northern parts of the district.

Mr. Jayachandran appealed to the farmers to make use of ‘Ungaludan Stalin’ camps being organised in their areas for getting agro inputs and chemical fertilizer stocks in their area and also all information pertaining to avail subsidised loans for purchasing farm implements, micro irrigation equipment etc.

When the farmers complained about the wild animal invasion into the ranches to cause extensive damage to the standing crops, the Forest Department officials were asked to ensure erection of solar fencing and digging of trenches in the vulnerable areas.

The DRO handed over ₹1.35 lakh-worth nine pushcarts for selling fruits and vegetables to the consumers and asked the Agriculture Department officials to provide reply within 10 days to the 193 petitions received during the meeting.

Sub-Collector, Tenkasi Vaishnavi Paul, Joint Director of Agriculture S. Amala and the senior officials from various government departments were present.