Kuruvai paddy expected to be raised on 3.59 lakh acres

Kuruvai paddy would be raised on 3.59 lakh acres in the Cauvery delta and neighbouring districts this year, M.R.K.Panneerselvam, Minister for Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, said here on Thursday.

Kuruvai paddy would be raised on 3.59 lakh acres in the Cauvery delta and neighbouring districts this year, M.R.K.Panneerselvam, Minister for Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, said here on Thursday.

Disclosing this at a meeting to review the preparedness for kuruvai cultivation at the Collectorate here, the Minister said that normally kuruvai crop would be raised on 3.23 lakh acres in the Delta districts - Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Mayiladuthurai districts, and the Cauvery irrigated areas in Cuddalore, Ariyalur and Tiruchi districts.

Stating that desilting of irrigation channels in the Delta region was being carried out on a war footing, Mr. Paneerselvam expressed confidence that the samba crop would not face inundation problems during the northeast monsoon this year and the groundwater table could get recharged so that cultivation of summer crops would not face water shortage problems.

As far as the availability and distribution of kuruvai paddy crop seeds, the Minister said that so far 4045 tonnes of paddy seeds, a little over 50% of the total seed requirement of 7182 tonnes, have been distributed to the farmers through the Agriculture Extension Centres and private outlets. The remaining quantity had been stocked at the AE Centres (634 tonnes) and private outlets (3412 tonnes) for distribution/sale to farmers during the current kuruvai season.

Similarly, fertilizers and other chemical inputs weighing around 78,000 tonnes out of the total requirement of 1.07 lakh tonnes for the kuruvai season had been kept ready at the Primary Agriculture Cooperative Credit Societies and private outlets and 972 transplanting machines have been pressed into service in the Delta region, he added.

Claiming that the farmers in tail-end areas had been advised to adopt direct sowing method in order to reduce the usage of water, the Minister expressed hope that the total area of kuruvai cultivation would surpass the target area this season also.