Kuruvai area likely to go up in Nagapattinam district

The Agriculture Department is hopeful of farmers raising kuruvai paddy in excess of 20,000 acres in the district.

Citing conducive conditions as a result of timely release of water from Mettur Dam and large-scale desilting, the district administration has advised the department to hold village-level camps to motivate farmers to take up kuruvai cultivation with confidence.

On its part, the district administration has ensured adequacy of short-term paddy seeds for direct sowing and fertilizers and manure to be supplied through agricultural extension centres, primary agricultural cooperative credit societies and private sellers, officials said.

Seeds of short-term paddy varieties have been stocked to the tune of 105 metric tonnes in agricultural extension centres, and 255 metric tonnes of seeds will be sold through private sellers. Farmers will be provided seeds at 50% subsidy at agricultural extension centres, Collector A. Arun Thamburaj said.

Interacting with farmers in six blocks during a grievance redressal session through video-conference on Tuesday, the Collector assured them that the crop insurance dues and crop loss compensation amounts would be settled shortly for farmers who had been left out.

He apprised the farmers of ₹61.09-crore kuruvai package announced by the Chief Minister.

The farmers, while assuring to do their part to enable the agriculture department to achieve its target for kuruvai crop acreage, urged the government to increase discharge from Mettur dam from the existing 10,000 cusecs to 15,000 cusecs per day so as to be in a position to take up cultivation in tail-end areas.

Officials of Agricultural Engineering Department were instructed to look into the demand raised by farmers for movable driers.

“Last year, kuruvai paddy was raised in 20,500 acres. This time, the acreage will be more, going by the level of preparations by farmers,” Joint Director of Agriculture S. Paneerselvam said.

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