Chennai, Nov 22 (BPNS)
The farmers of Tamil Nadu who have lost a huge quantity of crops to the recent rains and floods have petitioned the state agriculture department to provide compensation for their losses.
During the rains, around 1,50,000 hectares of crop was inundated in water in the state leading to the total loss of a large quantity of the produce including rice, Bengal gram, millets, and several other crops.
Banana farmers of the state were also heavily affected and the crop loss is pegged at more than 60% due to rains and floods.
In Cuddalore, farmers complained that around 22000 acres of farmland were inundated in water after Thenpennai River entered farmlands. This has led to the losses of crops like black gram, corn, cotton, vegetables, and fruits. M . Swaminathan, a black gram farmer at Cuddalore while speaking to BPNS said, “ We have already applied for compensation with the district administration and intimation have come that district administration and agriculture department will conduct a joint sitting with the farmer’s associations and take a decision on the compensation to be given. We are expecting a fair compensation.”
In a meeting between farmers association and agriculture department officials at Myladuthurai on Saturday, farmers demanded a compensation of Rs 30,000 per acre for completely damaged crops and Rs 10,000 per acre to re- transplant crops affected by the rains.
The Tamil Nadu Agriculture department will conduct a detailed study on the losses incurred to farmers in the recent rains and heavy water logging in many parts of the state.
In a high-level meeting of ministers and officials at Tamil Nadu secretariat recently, Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin has directed state agriculture minister and chief secretary to take conduct a detailed study on the losses incurred by farmers including poultry and cattle farmers.
The state agriculture minister, M.R.K.Panneerselvam has in a meeting of agriculture department officials have directed them to take district-wise data on the crop losses, poultry and cattle deaths.
The cultivation of banana and the sale of banana leaves have been a major source of income for farmers of Tiruchi area and during the rains more the sector has lost 60% of the crop. Banana Leaf Traders Association president, M. Mathialagan while speaking to IANS said, “ Rains have done havoc to the banana farming and the excessive water in the fields have led to the yellowing of the leaves and this has affected our business. The trade is hit more than 60% due to rains.”
Other than farm crops, the livestock farmers were also badly affected in the rains, especially the poultry farmers. Tamil Nadu is a major source of poultry rearing with Namakkal, Coimbatore, Erode, Pollachi, and Myladuthurai having large poultry farms.
Mukundadas, President of Paddy farmers association of Myladuthurai while speaking to BPNS said, “Its heartening to note that the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has taken care of agriculturists and directed the agriculture department to immediately conduct a meeting with the farmers and representatives to provide compensation for crop losses. We welcome the decision and expect the agriculture department to provide fair compensation to us.”
Poultry farmers association Coimbatore area president Manoharan Kumaran while speaking to BPNS said, “ We have lost lot of chickens in the rains and we were expecting a good business during the months of November and December. Each farm in the district have lost more than 3000 chicken and there are more than 100 farms in the district alone. This is a huge loss and we are expecting the state government to compensate us adequately as we have been a major supplier of Chicken and eggs within and outside the state.”
Tamil Nadu Agriculture minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam while speaking to BPNS said,” We are into detailed study on the agriculture losses incurred by farmers during the rains and will provide a proper compensation after meeting with the farmers association leaders and the officials. I will be holding meetings with officials and farmers. Chief Minister has specifically instructed all of us to provide the compensation as early as possible.”
The farmers of Tamil Nadu in areas like Theni, Madurai, Tirunelveli districts where rain created havoc destroying paddy fields in large numbers are also expecting fair compensation from the government.
M. Sathyanathan, a farmer from Cumbom in Theni district of Tamil Nadu who was cultivating paddy in more than 20 hectares while speaking to BPNS said,” We are expecting compensation of Rs 30,000 per hectare but we don’t know the ultimate figure that the government officials will arrive at. Anyway, the initiatives of the Chief Minister and the Agriculture minister conducting meeting with the representatives of the affected farmers and the bureaucrats and other agriculture department officials is commendable and we expect that we are not let down.”
