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Cattle graze on dried crop in farms
In a desperate attempt to save at least their cattle, farmers are feeding them with the dried crops. Unable to save the crop due to the worst failure of the monsoon this year, the farmers who also face shortage of fodder had started using the dried crop to feed their cattle which can minimise their heavy loss from the fields.
Madurai
Last year had been one of the driest years in the history of India and the Meteorological department declared it as the worst in 140 years. The resultant widespread drought in the state saw nearly 80 per cent of the sown crops failing due to shortage of water. The drought has affected the farmers and their livelihood very much.
Not only their farming activities but their cattle too have been suffering due to fodder shortage because of the drought conditions. Hence in a last-ditched attempt to save their cattle at least, the farmers have started feeding them with the dried crop. We have no other option, but to feed the cattle with our crops, said a farmer.
Speaking to DTNext Muthuramalingam of Thiruvadanai in Ramanathapuram district said, “I have allowed my livestock to graze in the field, which no farmer would ever allow. They have been permitted with a heavy heart at least to prevent them from dying.”
“I planted maize and other rain fed crops in more than 5 acres, but they had withered due to lack of rain and shortage of ground water,” he said and added that he had to maintain a large number of sheep and good number of cattle and goats. “We have lost the crops, we can’t afford to lose the livestock too,” Muthuramalingam rued.
Varadharajan, state vice president, MDMK (Farmers Wing), claimed that along with crop failure Tamil Nadu is going to witness mass death of cattle owing to shortage of water and fodder to feed for them. Already the population of cattle had seen a drastic decline in the state and with this trend the cattle population would further dwindle.
According to 19th livestock census Tamil Nadu has 4.62 million cattle population and it had reduced drastically by 21.22 percentage compared to the previous census. In the next census to be taken in 2017 the trend is likely to repeat with no signs of recovery said Varadharajan.
Rain elusive, relief still awaited
Rain has been elusive this year in both south west and north east monsoon seasons. The resulting drought has been one of the worst in the history of the state. The drought situation has claimed as many as 135 lives of the farmers in the state so far.
With the teams of Ministers finalising their reports to be submitted to the Chief Minister on Monday, demand for compensation from various political parties, farmers’ representatives and the royts have been renting the air. The massive shortfall in rain clubbed with drying of perennial rivers like Cauvery and Tamiraparani have added to the owes of the farmers. The farmers hoped against hope for a good rainfall and sowed the seeds. But the widespread crop failure had broken many a farmer across the state.
The death toll of farmers has already crossed 135 forcing them to protest to protect their livelihood. On Sunday Kadirvel, a farmer from Jameenkodangipatti village near Vilathikulam in Thoothukudi district, died of heart attack at his field. Loans and mounting debts snuffed the life out of the father of three children. Farmers have been demanding the government to declare Tamil Nadu as drought hit and waive their farm loans. They are also asking for suitable compensation for their lost crop.
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