Spell out samba policy, farmers tell state govt

Trichy: With uncertainty prevailing among farmers over raising samba paddy crops this season due to non-availability of water to irrigate, the farming community has turned to the state government to come up with its policy on samba cultivation without delay.Though the government comes out with a policy for every crop season after finalizing the targeted area of cultivation, fund allotted for loan, special package etc, it has been remaining mute so far this season despite the unusual situation, say farmers. The Cauvery river is dry, ground water table has depleted and there is interruption in agriculture power supply, they said. The government should provide fuel subsidies and uninterrupted power supply to take up samba cultivation, said Swamimalai S Vimalnathan, secretary of Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Protection Association. He called for convening a joint consultative meeting of stakeholders .With the closure of Mettur reservoir, there is uncertainty over seven lakh to eight lakh acres of samba cultivation in delta districts which rely on Cauvery water and monsoon. Hence, disaster management plans should be chalked out, said Arupathi P Kalyanam of Federation of Farmers’ Associations. N Veerasekaran of Bharatiya Kisan Sangam called for an effective alternative crop method .

Farmers switching from tobacco to other crops

A recent study conducted in the Belagavi district of Karnataka, India, found that many farmers have voluntarily stopped growing tobacco and switched to other crops. The study, carried out by the Centre for Multi-Disciplinary Development Research, revealed that more than 50% of land previously used for tobacco cultivation has been shifted to alternative crops such as sugarcane, maize, soybean, cotton, and floriculture. The government has been taking measures to reduce tobacco cultivation in the state, and the study suggests encouraging tobacco growers to adopt an integrated farming system with financial aid.

Medigadda row: Sironcha farmers rue loss of crops

Thousands of villagers in Sironcha taluka of Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra are protesting against Telangana's Kaleshwaram Lift irrigation scheme. The villagers claim that the Medigadda barrage, a part of the project, has caused their ancestral land to turn barren and destroyed their crops. They say that the barrage exacerbates flooding during heavy rains and leads to the loss of productive agriculture land. The affected villagers are demanding compensation and the status of project affected people, which would provide them with job opportunities and other benefits. The Telangana government has stated that it has already compensated affected landowners.

Strawberry price may rise as cultivation area reduces

The cultivation of strawberries in the Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani hill stations of Satara has been reduced this year due to scanty rainfall in September. This could result in higher prices for strawberries starting from November. Around 70% of strawberries produced in India come from Mahabaleshwar, and the remaining strawberries come from other states. Last year, the harvest of strawberries was affected by unseasonal rain, resulting in late arrivals and lower quality. Some growers have reduced their cultivation area this year to avoid a similar situation.