Paddy cultivators in the district are facing a deep crisis. The heavy north-east monsoon and the resultant delay in harvesting have led to widespread damage to paddy. There is an abject dearth of combine harvesters and above all, in spite of the commencement of paddy procurement operations by the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation, uncertainty looms large over the timely disbursal of the remuneration.
Says Jose George, paddy field officer “We were expecting nearly 27,000 mt of paddy during this viruppu season from the district. However, if things move at this pace, it is not going to be even 22,000 mt”.
During the just concluded puncha season, the Civil Supplies Corporation had procured more than 49,000 mt from the district. The procurement during the last viruppu season was also depressing, he said.
The procurement agencies who were expecting 25 to 30 quintals per acre earlier, do not expect more than 20 quintals per acre under the present conditions, Mr George said.
The situation in Vechoor, Thalayzham areas where more than 3,500 acres are under viruppu crop is dismal. Since the combined harvesters were not available on time in the right numbers, paddy in most of the polders is facing damage.
In fact, the farmers have joined together and initiated manual harvesting in the area.
Harvesting, which was expected to commence by early October, started effectively only after 15th of the month. The Uma variety of paddy which can be harvested after 120 to 140 days have not been harvested even after 170 days in many places. In areas like Kelakkari, the harvesting should have been completed nearly two weeks back, though it is yet to begin this year.
While the rains played havoc with the virippu crop, what has complicated the situation was the dismal performance of authorities in keeping the combine harvesters ready. “We need 100 combine harvesters now, in place of the less than 30 operational in the district now,” said Mr George.
Machines provided by contractors from Tamil Nadu, who arrive with own maintenance team, charge up to more than Rs.2,000 an hour, though in many polders, the harvesters remain jammed in the heavily wet conditions of the fields.
So far, the disbursal of remuneration of the procured paddy has not begun and there is confusion over the timely disbursal of the funds. Says Fr. Thomas Peeliyanickal, executive director, Kuttanad Vikasana Samithi: “There is nothing new about the current state of affairs. It is a repeating phenomenon. Unless the authorities take a sympathetic outlook and bring out a comprehensive strategy, the condition of the paddy farmer is not going to change.”
