The New Indian Express ·
Monsoon failure leaves crops to wither in TN's Salem
SALEM: The failure of the southwest monsoon has left farmers in the eastern parts of Salem struggling with crop losses, particularly in Thalaivasal, Thammampatti, Attur and Pethanaickenpalayam, where agriculture largely depends on rainfall and farmers have limited access to irrigation schemes.
With inadequate rainfall during the season, maize and sorghum crops cultivated across these areas have dried up without producing a harvest, leaving farmers with little option but to leave the crops in the fields for livestock or remove them using tractors.
Unlike crops that are cultivated during a specific season, maize and sorghum are grown by farmers in these parts through different periods of the year, depending largely on the availability of rainfall. Many farmers had cultivated the crops expecting the southwest monsoon to provide sufficient rain, but the rainfall was inadequate, leaving the crops to wither before they could produce a harvest.
