Heavy rains over the past days have flooded Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur district, the heart of the state’s rice production, and wiped out large patches of short‑term paddy that were ready for harvest.
The downpour came at a crunch. In the Kuruvai season, farmers planted almost 200,000 acres of paddy, and about 170,000 acres already went to market. Yet in places like Orathanadu, Thanjavur, and Ammapettai, roughly 1,500 acres of the spring crop now lie underwater.
Farmers say the muddy fields make it hard to access the land, and the standing water threatens to ruin the grain. “If we harvest now, the rice will be poor quality,” one farmer from Orathanadu told local reporters. Others added that government procurement centres began late, forcing them to wait until the fields dry.
Experts warn that the longer the water stays, the more grain can rot and soil structure degrades, increasing long‑term risk for the region. With heavy monsoon rains flooding the delta, mechanical harvesters have become harder to use and the cost of operating them goes up, adding to farmers’ financial strain.
State revenue and agriculture officials are working to assess the full extent of the damage. Farmers’ groups have urged the government to roll out relief and compensation quickly.
The Northeast Monsoon’s intensity threatens to leave Thanjavur’s rice growers with a shattered harvest, and the community’s plans for next year hang in the balance.
Source: ianslive
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