Rainfed farming enters crucial phase

Even as the entire Tamil Nadu is closely watching the developments on the Cauvery front to protect the samba crop in the delta region, the rainfed farming, covering almost three million hectares in the State, is entering a crucial phase now. [The total cultivable area is seven million hectares]. “We can afford to wait for another three weeks at the maximum to see how much rainfed crops could be salvaged this year despite deficient rainfall,” Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) sources told The Hindu.

Rajachidambaram, State general secretary of the Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangham, is certain that only a fraction of the normal area has been covered under the rainfed crops so far. Many of these crops could be raised even if there are some good rains in the next 20 days.