Procurement of paneer karumbu by the State government for Pongal distribution from farmers in Melur belt began on January 6. With 837 acres in Madurai district under panner karumbu cultivation, contractors have started loading consignments for cooperative societies in other districts.
In villages such as Surappatti, Thaniamangalam and Valayapatti in Melur block, there is a frenzy of activity in the sugarcane fields. Workers are busy cutting canes, bundling them up and loading them onto the waiting trucks.
Farmers in the belt are happy that the government has retained the last year’s price of ₹33 a piece as the maximum price. But a few persons including K. Kumar, a farmer from Navinipatti, says that this year the sugarcane has not reached the expected height of six feet and above. “Even the space between the nodes is less,” he says. The farmers in the region blame it on the poor monsoonal rain and also the late release of water in the channel.
According to Joint Director Agriculture, Madurai, P. Subburaj, “sugarcane is a 11-month crop and the farmers cannot expect water to be released regularly for irrigation”. “The region being rain-fed, farmers should go in for alternative sources of irrigation such as digging bore wells etc,” say officials.
P. Thangam, another farmer, points out that after Pongal season is over many in the region practice crop rotation such as cultivating bananas, groundnuts and also cotton. This improves soil health. “But it is during the Pongal season that we are able to make good profit,” he adds.
Farmers in the region see a profit of about ₹1.5 lakh per acre. There are many farmers who sell their produce to private operators. “Though their overhead cost is more as they have to bear transportation etc., yet it is a profitable crop,” they say.
According to S. Gurumurthy, Joint Registrar, Cooperative, Madurai, this year about two crore sugarcane has been cultivated in the region. “For Madurai district we are procuring 9.31 lakh sugarcane for Pongal distribution. From Sunday, January 7, we will begin the procurement from farmers and from January 10th, distribution through PDS shops will begin,” he says.
