The green gram and cotton seeds are ready for distribution in every block-level agriculture office, but hardly any farmer has come forward to collect or buy them. In contrast, last year green gram was cultivated in 800 hectares of land that too by April-end and May-first week. This time, farmers have postponed their plans in the absence of summer showers.
The district usually sees cultivation of pulses, especially green gram, across 150 to 200 hectares of land when it receives 130mm to 140mm summer showers spread over March, April and May. On an annual basis, pulses are cultivated across 11,000 acres in the district. However, when the district received almost 260mm of rain last year, the green gram cultivation acreage rose by four times to 800 hectares.
"Usually, farmers in Annur, Karamadai and Sarkar Samakulam start cultivating green gram soon after the first summer showers. This time around, the acreage under summer cultivation is abysmally low, as the district didn't get summer rain," said a senior agriculture officer.
"Even farms with good drip irrigation facilities are not taking up any new cultivation and they are only using it to maintain paddy, sugarcane, banana and cotton plantations," the official said, adding, "We will consolidate the acreage of land under cultivation only by mid-May."
Farmers said they would wait till southwest monsoon to start any cultivation. "This summer is the worst we have seen in almost four to five years," said the president of Tamil Nadu Farmers Association, A Kandasamy.
"So, many farmers are afraid of using irrigation facilities to sow seeds, because they are scared they will dry up. Most people are waiting for southwest monsoon to begin cultivation of paddy, millets and oilseeds, which are kharif crops," he added.
The district usually sees cultivation of pulses, especially green gram, across 150 to 200 hectares of land when it receives 130mm to 140mm summer showers spread over March, April and May. On an annual basis, pulses are cultivated across 11,000 acres in the district. However, when the district received almost 260mm of rain last year, the green gram cultivation acreage rose by four times to 800 hectares.
"Usually, farmers in Annur, Karamadai and Sarkar Samakulam start cultivating green gram soon after the first summer showers. This time around, the acreage under summer cultivation is abysmally low, as the district didn't get summer rain," said a senior agriculture officer.
"Even farms with good drip irrigation facilities are not taking up any new cultivation and they are only using it to maintain paddy, sugarcane, banana and cotton plantations," the official said, adding, "We will consolidate the acreage of land under cultivation only by mid-May."
Farmers said they would wait till southwest monsoon to start any cultivation. "This summer is the worst we have seen in almost four to five years," said the president of Tamil Nadu Farmers Association, A Kandasamy.
"So, many farmers are afraid of using irrigation facilities to sow seeds, because they are scared they will dry up. Most people are waiting for southwest monsoon to begin cultivation of paddy, millets and oilseeds, which are kharif crops," he added.