CHENNAI: Farmers in the Talavadi hills region of Erode district are facing a crisis as there has been no rain for over 20 days since they planted maize crops. In areas where the maize had germinated, the plants are now wilting and drying up, as reported by Daily Thanthi.

The farmers in the region had invested up to Rs 30,000 per acre to plant the maize crops. With the absence of rain, they have now incurred significant losses.

"We rely on seasonal rains to cultivate maize, and this year, after the initial rains, we plowed the land and planted our crops. However, a lack of rainfall in the days following planting has led to the maize drying up," lamented a local farmer.

In Talavadi, and the surrounding hilly villages such as Thiginarai, Mallankuli, Arulavadi, Khetwadi, Panakkali, Neithalapuram, Thalamalai, Konetipuram, Hasanur, Kuliyadai, Devarnatham, Germalam, and Thingalur, maize is cultivated across roughly one thousand acres annually.