Date:17/05/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/05/17/stories/2007051708590300.htm

Kerala - Alappuzha

Good harvest in Kuttanad despite odd conditions

Dennis Marcus Mathew

Agriculture Department says the paddy yield is the best in a decade

PLAGUING PROBLEMS: A farmer shows sprouted paddy caused by the delay in procurement.

ALAPPUZHA: The `puncha' (summer) harvest this year might have been mired in controversies over delayed procurement and compensation hassles, but the Agriculture Department says that these issues notwithstanding, the yield has been the best in a decade.

The beginning of the season, just like it ended, was problematic. The extended rains had delayed sowing by nearly a month and the farmers were tense over the outcome, say Department officials.

Training

With adverse conditions prevailing, the Mankombu Centre for Pest Management had organised training classes for the farmers during which tips to handle the climate and on seed selection were imparted. This enthused the farmers to a great extent. A major outcome was that more than 1,500 tonnes of the 2,500 tonnes of seed used in the 25,000 hectares where paddy is cultivated in the Alappuzha sector of Kuttanad were of the certified variety. Two varieties, Jyothi and Uma, were the most used, particularly Uma, which promises a high yield, they say.

"We organised farmers' field schools and also took up spot-based remedial actions. The Government's announcement that it would procure the crop at Rs.850 a quintal also made the farmers enthusiastic in taking more care and in following directions. Moreover, all necessary accessories including fertilizers were supplied on time," an official says. One of the reasons that the Department cites for the improved yield is the advent of mechanisation in the harvesting process. "Instead of around 17 combined harvester machines that were used last year, the farmers used nearly 150 combined harvesters this year. That reduced the usual loss of crop that occurs during manual harvesting to a great extent," the official said, adding that after the initial problems, the climate also turned favourable until the harvest.

"The result was that as against the 1,07,500 tonne-yield last year, we had a 1,37,500 tonne-yield this year, which roughly translates into around an additional income of Rs.25 crores from the entire area," he says.

Breach of bunds

As for the D-Block and C-Block where pest attacks were said to have caused a damage of nearly Rs.1 crore, the Department says the breach of bunds had delayed the sowing further and with the top soil being washed away, the immunity had been reduced. Moreover, with the harvest over in other blocks by this time, the pest concentration in these blocks was high.

Enthused by the increased yield, the Department is already chalking out pre-season training programmes and other measures for the next season.

The only fear is whether administrative lapses, such as delayed procurement, would cause sprouting of paddy and other problems that can water down such rare achievements of the Kuttanad farmer.