Farmers go for pulses cultivation to balance loss of kuruvai crop

As the state has been witnessing a drought, farmers are unable to take up any agricultural activity. Therefore, the Agricultural department has come out with an alternative crop cycle and have introduced a micro irrigation system. 

The farmers have equipped their land with sprinklers, drip and rain gun method irrigation. For this, Tiruchy district was allotted Rs 8 crore this year. This has benefited 500 acres of black gram and over 2000 farmers. 

Since the pulses are a 65-day crop, they do not need much water for cultivation. The micro irrigation method would benefit the crop in getting equal quantum of water sprinkled and so the growth rate would be beneficial. “Water has been sourced through the bore wells to rain-fed tanks from where, it would be pumped to the fields through sprinklers. 

And we have obtained 700 kg per acre,” said Joint Director (Agriculture) S Uduman Mohideen. The farmers have been given Vamban 6 variety which can overcome the Yellow Mosaic Virus and so the estimated yield can be acquired, Uduman further said. 

Meanwhile, District Collector K Rajamani said that the devices for the micro irrigation cost Rs 31,600 per acre and the small and marginal farmers are provided with full subsidy while the other farmers have been given 75 per cent subsidy. 

“This is a removable device and so, after watering a particular area, the farmer can shift the entire device to  a place adjacent to his land,” the Collector said and added that farmers who do not own a tank or well, they can get a letter of consent from the neighbouring farmer who owns one.