Ryots seek new rice varieties as samba yield drops again in Tamil Nadu

TIRUCHY: Delta farmers have suffered again as the samba yield dropped for the third consecutive year. The frustrated farmers are expecting full insurance claims at least for this year. They have also appealed to the government to introduce new paddy varieties with high yield as the already utilised varieties including the conventional CR 1009 have failed this season.

The samba and thalady cultivation had surpassed the target of 10.50 lakh acres across the Delta region this year and the harvest is almost getting to completion. However, the farmers said that they have suffered a loss in the yield this season due to various factors.

The actual yield of 2,400 kg (40 bags each with 60 kg) and 6,000 kg per hectare is normally expected, but during the current season, they could obtain only 900 kg to 1,500 kg per acre (15 to 25 bags) with an average of 1,200 kg.

Farmers said that the yield shortage was due to the unexpected rainfall on unusual days that had damaged the crops.

“Just 10 days after the transplantation of the nurseries, there was a heavy rain in the Delta region which we had never expected and this resulted in wilting of nurseries to a larger extent. Although we had managed to re-plant with the nurseries, there was another rain when the crop was in the milking stage and the 50-day plan had suffered due to rain-caused damage to crops at many places. The third blow was the heavy downpour during the last week of December which had damaged the grains due to pest attack,” said Swamimalai Sundara Vimalnathan, Secretary, Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Protection Association.

Vimalnathan said that these factors not only resulted in poor yield but also declined the graph of food production in Tamil Nadu.

“But we are not to blame the state government now as they had released adequate water on time but the uncertain heavy downpour had played a spoilsport,” Vimalnathan said.

Since the farmers faced yield shortages ranging from 600 to 900 kg per acre, they suffered severe losses.

“We spent between Rs 35,000 and 45,000 per acre but we lost at least Rs 20,000 per acre by poor yield,” said V Mariappan, a progressive farmer from Pulavankadu in Thanjavur.

Mariappan further said that there should be 220 grains in each stem but this time he could get only 100 to 120 grains.

The farmers across the region have been mainly cultivating the CR 1009 variety which is one of highest yielding paddy and also withstand submerging due to flood and drought while a few cultivated other fine varieties like ADT 51, ADT 46, ADT 39, ADT 38, IR 20, CO 43, CO 46, Bhavani, MDU, TRY varieties but could not achieve expected yield.

“We appeal to the state government to introduce newer crop varieties with a higher yield that can also withstand any natural calamities,” Mariappan said.

Farmers like Mariappan had experienced at least 40 per cent yield loss in 2024 and also 2023, but they did not get insurance claims despite having insured their crops on time.

“There were a few handpicked farmers who could avail the insurance claims due to a wrong calculation and methodology in damage assessment,” Mariappan said.

Echoing the claim, Vimalnathan said, “Presently, the damage assessment has been done at revenue village level which consisted of around at least 15 hamlets. When the officials calculate the average damage, the farmers affected would get neglected. And so, we have been demanding to consider the individual farmer’s cultivation during the assessment of crop damage,” Vimalnathan stressed.