The New Indian Express ·
TN rice bowl in trouble, 96% dip in kuruvai harvest in Nagapattinam
NAGAPATTINAM: Reflecting a critical agricultural crisis in the state, kuruvai paddy harvest in Nagapattinam district will plummet by 96% this year. Official forecasts indicate that paddy procurement will drop to a mere 5,000 metric tonnes this year compared to 1.30 lakh metric tonnes last year. Nagapattinam is part of the delta region, which is collectively called the ‘rice bowl of Tamil Nadu’.
Hit by lack of Cauvery water for irrigation due to the delay in the opening of Mettur Dam, the overall kuruvai cultivation area in the district had fallen from nearly 30,000 hectares last year to just 1,720 hectares this year. Weak rainfall and saline groundwater have also affected cultivation area and output.
Owing to the expected decline in harvest, the number of Direct Procurement Centres (DPC) has also witnessed a drop in the district. Only 12 DPCs will be opened for kuruvai paddy procurement this year compared to more than 120 DPCs last year, official sources said. Six DPCs have already been opened and 270 metric tonnes has been procured so far, sources added. The procurement season will run from September to December, depending on the demand from farmers.
