The Hindu : Water-starved ryots awaiting Govt.'s farm strategy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 01, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Water-starved ryots awaiting Govt.'s farm strategy

By V. Jayanth

CHENNAI May 31. Farmers in delta districts are waiting for the State Government to come out with a policy or initiative for the coming agriculture season. Though it is obvious that there can be no `meaningful' kuruvai crop, the farmers would still like the administration to announce its strategy for the year.

"There is no point talking of alternative crops or an informal campaign to encourage farmers to take up short-term crops other than paddy. We need water for any crop and an alternative will be possible only where there is assured ground water", says S. Ranganathan, secretary, Cauvery Delta Farmers Welfare Association.

There has been talk of encouraging cultivation of pulses, sunflower and some other crops, but this exercise will be possible only in areas where the farmers are assured at least ground water. "We can rule out any crop on 11 lakh acres, where there is no access to water. Only about one lakh acres can be covered with any alternative crop this season", explains Mr. Ranganathan.

The farmers in the Tiruchi-Thanjavur belt want the Government to reserve any water Mettur gets - from Karnataka or from the subsequent monsoon - for a possible samba crop. "Let us first ensure a safe and secure samba this year, because most of the farmers in the region will lose a fourth crop in succession", says a spokesman of the agriculturists based in Tiruchi.

Though they do not want to blame the State Government for the "mess" they are in, the farmers feel that a Cauvery Monitoring Committee meeting now may not solve any problem. It may only vitiate the already strained relations between the two riparian States. They suggest that the committee meet every 10 days once the monsoon sets in and the rains begin. That may enable the two States to work out a sharing arrangement and ensure a safe crop in the delta.

The general consensus appears to be that pulses must be given "priority and a push", as it can provide three-four times more returns than what paddy fetches and that too in 65 days. But even this crop needs water. They want the government to persuade the farmers not to go in for paddy for, there is no market even for the `Ponni' variety, produced last season - now three or four months old and that too in limited stocks.

While welcoming the drought relief and compensation package announced by the Government, the farmers hope that the payment will be made at least in time for the next crop. More important, they want the Government to convene a meeting of cooperative and commercial banks to ensure that farm loans are rescheduled immediately and fresh advances or loans sanctioned for the next crop. This initiative, they feel, must come from the Government. Otherwise, the banks will be reluctant to provide fresh loans to farmers, who are already reeling under a major loss.

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