Agriculture News

THOOTHUKUDI: Farmers raised strong concerns over pollution of the Melakal canal and demanded reforms in water distribution from the Thamirabarani river during the agriculture grievance redressal meeting held in the district on Thursday. The meeting, chaired by District Revenue Officer (DRO) A Ravichandran, was attended by officials from the agriculture, revenue, and other departments. P Arumuganainar, a farmer from V Kovilpathu near Seithunganallur, complained that civic bodies in Vittilapuram, V Kovilpathu, Seithunganallur, and other villages under Karungulam union were discharging untreated wastewater directly into the Melakal canal. This canal, branching off from the Maruthur anaicut on the Thamirabarani river, irrigates over 12,762 acres through 17 system tanks. He alleged that Karungulam union authorities had constructed drain canals that led straight into the Melakal canal, contaminating the water and resulting in weed growth, livestock diseases, and health hazards for the local population. When questioned by DRO Ravichandran, Karungulam union officials admitted that the drain canals were indeed connected up to the junction of the streets and canal. They informed the administration that plans are underway to construct soak pits to prevent wastewater from mixing with irrigation water. Meanwhile, Maharaj Paldurai, a farmer from Sathankulam, demanded that the district administration ensure surplus water from the Thamirabarani river be diverted to the Sadayaneri flood carrier canal. He criticised the current system, claiming that surplus water is being directed to system tanks, sidelining arid areas such as Udangudi and Sathankulam. Citing a G.O from 1985, Paldurai pointed out that six tanks, including Vellamadamkulam, Udayarkulam, Muthalaikulam, and Velarikaiyoorani, were granted access to the Sadayaneri canal. He argued that this allocation was unjust and called for the scrapping of the GO, stressing that system tanks should be filled progressively through their respective channels as per traditional British-era practices. The Sadayaneri canal, constructed in 1973, carries floodwater from Kalvai tank to the Sadayaneri tank in Udangudi union. It was further extended to Puthantharuvai in 1991.

THOOTHUKUDI: Despite securing the prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Authoor vetrilai, betel farmers in the region continue to face significant hurdles in exporting the produce due to a lack of awareness and training in obtaining mandatory phytosanitary certification. With the Assembly elections around the corner, farmers have urged both the state and Union governments to prioritise betel leaf exports and introduce targeted support measures to prevent cultivators from shifting to alternative crops. They emphasised that strengthening export channels would help revive cultivation and improve livelihoods. Authoor vetrilai, cultivated along the banks of the Thamirabarani River, is known for its distinct pungency and spicy flavour. However, farmers say the cultivation area has been steadily shrinking, with younger generations reluctant to take up betel farming. “Nearly a decade ago, around five tonnes of betel leaves were produced daily in Authoor. Today, it has dropped to just one or two tonnes,” farmers associated with the local growers’ association said. Ajith Kumar, a farmer from Mukkani, noted that many cultivators have shifted to cash crops such as banana and coconut due to poor market access and lack of export facilitation. He also alleged that insufficient promotional efforts, including the absence of official documentation or marketing initiatives, have affected the product’s visibility.

Thoothukudi: Salt production is in full swing across the Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu. However, with the approaching monsoon season, salt production is likely to be completely affected for several months, and therefore, salt pan workers have demanded that the government take steps to provide better welfare assistance to government workers to save it. They have urged the government to improve financial assistance, increase monsoon relief, and provide welfare assistance including land rights to protect their families during the annual non-productive periods.

Farmers in Thoothukudi district are advocating for the introduction of an online system to access subsidized tractors, aiming to enhance agricultural productivity and equity. While southern regions of the district benefit from irrigation systems, the northern areas depend solely on rainfed agriculture, cultivating crops like pulses, millets, and oilseeds. A. Varadharajan, president of the Karisal Boomi Vivasayigal Sangam, highlighted the pressing need for tractors in modern farming practices. He pointed out that while affluent farmers can afford personal tractors, small-scale farmers struggle with the high costs of rentals. Currently, subsidies for farm inputs and equipment are accessible online through the submission of documents like Aadhaar cards and land records. However, this digital facility does not extend to tractor purchases, leading to disparities in subsidy distribution. Varadharajan emphasized that the absence of an online application process for tractor subsidies disproportionately affects genuine small farmers, as tractors often end up allocated to those with political influence. He urged the government to implement an online platform for tractor subsidies to ensure transparency and equitable access for all farmers. In response to similar challenges, the Tamil Nadu government has launched the E-Rental (E-Vaadagai) application under the Tamil Nadu Agricultural Mechanization Scheme. This platform allows farmers to rent agricultural machinery at subsidized rates, addressing labor shortages and promoting mechanization. Additionally, the Uzhavan app provides information on machinery availability and connects farmers with local equipment owners. Extending such digital solutions to include tractor subsidies could significantly benefit small and marginal farmers in Thoothukudi, promoting fairness and enhancing agricultural efficiency.

Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has said that Ramanathpuram, Sivaganga, Thoothukudi and Virudhunagar districts are included under the Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana. Interacting with farmers at Vellore, he said that under the project, 36 schemes are being integrated to deliver comprehensive benefits to farmers. He reviewed the progress of scheme convergence with heads of the four participating Krishi Vigyan Kendras. He emphasised  on Natural farming practices and the National Pulses mission  which described Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to make the Country self reliant in pulses production. He mentioned that states such as Tamilnadu will greatly benefit from this mission through improved varieties, advanced technology and assured marketing. He also appreciated the advanced pulses varieties developed by the National Pulses Centre, Vamban under the Tamilnadu Agricultural University. He appreciated the farmers of Tamilnadu for working hard and said that he respected their culture and values.

THOOTHUKUDI: Climate change-induced heavy downpour and soaring cultivation costs have pushed several farmers in the rain-fed regions of the district to gradually switch to maize cultivation. The cultivated area of maize crossed 2 lakh acres in 2025-2026, as against the 1.16 lakh acres three years ago. Thoothukudi has been a major place of cultivation of pulses like black gram and green gram, and major millets like maize (corn), sorghum (Jowar), and cumbu (pearl millet), and vegetables like chilli, coriander, and cucumber. However, the changing rain patterns due to cloud bursts, intense flooding, extended northeast monsoon season, and severe winter have been posing challenges for the farmers in cultivating pulses, which cannot withstand severe rains and stagnation. A farmer, S Navaneedhan of Gopalapuram near Kovilpatti, said the shifts in rain pattern are not conducive for black gram and green gram crops. “The crops will decay if the farmland gets stagnated for a few days,” he said, adding that the yield drops due to the vagaries of the weather. R Narayanasamy of Achankulam said the monsoon season extending till January spoils the harvest of fully-grown crops standing with grains, thus affecting the yield and the remuneration. As maize is a five-month crop, it can sustain unexpected rain in January, he said.

THOOTHUKUDI: Farmers dependent on the Korampallam tank located near Thoothukudi town alleged silt and karambai (fertile silt) removed from it were not being supplied to farmers, but they were being sold by dredgers to realtors at a huge price.   Farmers say the district administration has permitted the removal of silt deposits from the tank so as to increase its storage capacity. The government has permitted farmers to take them freely as silt and karambai sands are good for agriculture.  A banana farmer, M Rathnapandi of Vadaku Kalangarai village, said that he had applied for taking karambai sand to fill up his agricultural land two months ago. “Water from the Korampallam tank seeps into my low-lying land, which is close to the tank, thus spoiling crops as it cannot be drained. However, the operators don’t give the sand. They charge more than `1,000 per load, and I can not afford it,” he said. “Those who excavate the silt sell it to the realtors,” he claimed.