Farmers in the Cauvery delta districts have expressed disappointment over the quantum of relief announced by Chief Minister M.K.Stalin for the rain affected crops, especially the decision to provide only inputs for the inundated samba / thaladi crops.
Farmers’ representatives demanded that affected farmers should be compensated suitably for the yield loss in kuruvai crop as there was no crop insurance for the season and given cash relief for the damage to the standing samba / thaladi crops caused by the heavy monsoon rain.
The input supply for the samba / thaladi crops, announced by the government, would not be of much use to farmers, they said.
“The Chief Minister’s announcement has caused a lot of confusion and belied the expectations of farmers as the relief is not commensurate with the losses suffered by them,” said P.R.Pandian, general secretary, Tamizhaga Cauvery Vivasayigal Sangam.
Arupathy Kalynam, general secretary, Federation of Farmers Associations of Cauvery Delta Districts, observed that there was no clarity on whether the relief has been sanctioned from the State or national disaster response funds and on what basis / norms.
Both the farmer leaders insisted that the inputs offered in view of the samba / thaladi crop damages would be of no use to the affected farmers and instead cash relief should be given.
Mr.Pandian said it would not be possible to revive the affected crops using the inputs given by the government.
Mr.Kalyanam felt that it would be highly difficult for farmers to take up cultivation afresh in canal irrigated areas as they would have to first wait for the rain to stop.
Reclaiming the inundated fields for fresh cultivation would cost more, said G.Srinivasan of Ganapathi Agraharam in Thanjavur district, who also sought relief for horticulture crops.
Pointing out that farmers have taken up kuruvai cultivation without crop insurance, Mr.Kalyanam urged the government to sanction a relief of ₹50,000 a hectare (ha) to farmers who suffered yield loss during the season.
“For the affected samba / thaaldi crop, the government should sanction ₹20,000 per ha for irrigated crops, ₹10,000 per ha for rainfed crop and ₹25,000 per ha for perennial crops as was done by the previous AIADMK government after the Nivar and Burevi cyclones last year,” Mr.Kalyanam demanded.
Summing up the situation, V.Jeevakumar, vice-president, Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, Thanjavur, said samba / thaladi farmers were not just disappointed but desperate.
“The Chief Minister should sanction ₹30.000 a hectare for the affected samba/thaladi crop as that is what he had demanded last year when in Opposition,” he said.
Mr.Pandian also expressed disappointment over the exclusion of ‘karumbu’ in the Pongal gift hampers announced by the government on Wednesday. Many farmers had grown the crop anticipating procurement by the government for being included in the hampers as was done over the past few years, he observed.
Published - November 17, 2021 08:12 pm IST
