The President of Tamil Manila Congress (Moopanar), G.K. Vasan, on May 29, 2024—Wednesday said that the Tamil Nadu administration must assist farmers in growing paddy during kuruvai season through giving them loan facilities, crop insurance scheme, special package consisting of fertilizers and seeds at a subsidized rate and power supply for irrigating crops in three shifts per day.
As usual every year, the Tamil Nadu government opens the Mettur dam on June 12th to enable farmers from the Cauvery delta districts to cultivate short term paddy crop during kuruvai season. However, this year it seems that there is no chance of opening the dam as usual on June 12th because there is not enough water in the reservoir. Mr.Vasan said that this will reduce the extent of kuruvai paddy cultivation in Delta districts.
In some parts of Delta districts farmers have started cultivating by using ground water and water bodies such as lakes and ponds for irrigation with motor pumps on paddy fields. In view of this situation, the State Government should ensure uninterrupted electricity supply for at least eighteen hours a day and extend loans to farmers through agricultural cooperative societies. Also, The Agriculture Department should start releasing special packages for kuruvai season immediately to farmers, he added.
