Samba cultivation kicks off with a full Mettur and hopeful ryots

TIRUCHY: Delta farmers have begun preparatory works for samba cultivation, hoping for a bumper harvest comparable to Kuruvai, as favourable conditions prevail in the region. Kuruvai has already surpassed the target this year.

After the annual release from Mettur Dam commencing on June 12, farmers immediately started cultivating kuruvai spanning 5.66 lakh acres, surpassing the target of 5.32 lakh acres. The optimal conditions at the Delta region - adequate storage at Mettur and a brisk Southwest monsoon - led to a prosperous yield.

Typically, farmers who focus on a single crop take on samba cultivation, while many opt for kuruvai cultivation and move on to thalady cultivation post kuruvai yield.

"Acreage increased for kuruvai this year, which left less area for samba, but thalady will enjoy increased acreage," said agricultural officials.

They also noted that the target for samba cultivation has been set as 3.07 lakh acres in Thanjavur, 3.46 lakh acres in Tiruvarur, 1.67 lakh acres in Mayiladuthurai, 1.56 lakh acres in Nagapattinam and 1.35 lakh acres in Tiruchy.

With widespread rain gracing the region, the farmers have commenced the preparatory works for samba cultivation. "Ploughing, readying nurseries and planting for Samba is under way across the region," officials said.

Officials predict that with the phenomenal storage level at Mettur and steady inflow to reservoirs, there may not be a water shortage this year.

"The farmers can sow seeds in September, so they can prevent the damage due to Northeast monsoon rains," senior agricultural technocrat P Kalaivanan said. He added that the 120 TMC required for the entire samba season, amidst the storage in Mettur and the continuous rainfall, would fulfil the water requirement for samba.

"When sowing gets over by September, the Northeast monsoon would supplement the water needed for samba," Kalaivanan said.

The agriculture officials also noted that the Mettur reservoir has been full for the past five days, "The 91-year-old reservoir has been full for 51 years."

To achieve the maximum potential yield this year, the farmers also urge the state government to announce the samba package on par with the kuruvai package. "Farmers who can't afford borewells depend on river irrigation and concentrate just on samba cultivation. Their hard work for five months would just fetch them a meagre income, which they have to stretch to meet their year-round expenses," said AKR Ravichandar, president, Cauvery Delta Farmers Association.

He also appealed that the State announce the samba package immediately and provide a 100 per cent subsidy for paddy seeds and a 50 per cent subsidy for fertilisers. The farmers also appealed to streamline the private fertiliser firms that forced them to purchase nano fertiliser along with DAP.