Tamil Nadu farmers face paddy yield risks amid water scarcity

Farmers in the Cauvery delta districts of Tamil Nadu are reporting mixed results for the kuruvai paddy harvest due to heat stress and water scarcity. While some early-harvested fields in Thanjavur recorded reasonable yields, crops harvested later have shown a marked decline. In several districts, the total area under cultivation has fallen significantly because water was not released from the Mettur reservoir at the start of the season.

In Tiruchy, farmers are urging the state government to release water into 17 irrigation canals to protect samba paddy nurseries. Although water from Mettur began flowing in early September, it has not yet reached several fields, leaving growers uncertain about transplanting. Farmers expressed concern that current flows may only last approximately 25 days and have requested contingency plans and fuel subsidies to operate diesel pumps during power outages.

Regional data shows significant fluctuations in cultivation. In Nagapattinam, cultivation dropped from 30,000 hectares last year to 1,720 hectares this season. In Tiruvarur, the cultivated area decreased from 77,573 hectares to 46,339 hectares. Agriculture officials have cautioned that prolonged high temperatures continue to threaten remaining standing crops.