TN Delta farmers struggle with high harvest machine rents, crop losses amid unseasonal rains

Chennai, Jan 27 (IANS) Farmers in Tamil Nadu’s Delta districts, the state’s rice bowl, are grappling with skyrocketing costs for harvesting machines and significant crop damage caused by unseasonal rains.

These challenges have dealt a severe blow to the region’s Samba paddy farmers, many of whom are now facing substantial losses.

The harvest, which began in December 2024 and continued into January 2025, has been hampered by private operators charging exorbitant rents for harvesting machines.

The Tamil Nadu Agriculture Department has fixed the hourly rent for standard harvester machines at ₹1,160 and ₹1,880 for the belt variety.

However, farmers have reported that private operators are charging between ₹3,000 and ₹3,200 per hour, with some rates anticipated to climb as high as ₹4,000.

Farmers argue that the state Agriculture Engineering Department lacks an adequate number of harvesters, forcing them to rely on private players who exploit the situation.

During the Kuruvai season, private operators charged ₹2,800 per hour, but rates have now increased significantly, adding to farmers’ financial burdens.

Delta Farmers Association leader M.L. Palanisamy expressed concern, saying, “Many harvester machines are being brought in from other districts and states. It is high time the district administrations intervene to regulate rents and support farmers.”

In addition to the high costs of harvesting, farmers are also reeling from the impact of unseasonal rains, which have severely damaged Samba paddy crops across Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, and Nagapattinam districts.

The northeast monsoon, which usually ends by December 15, 2024, has extended into January 2025. As a result, crops ready for harvest were submerged in water, leading to high moisture content and fungal diseases.

Delta farmers have reported massive crop losses. In Nagapattinam 30,000 acres of Samba and Thalady paddy was damaged while in Mayiladuthurai 25,000 acre crops were destroyed.

In Tiruvarur 30,000 acres of paddy stands damaged and in Thanjavur 25,000 acres were affected.

Palanisamy lamented, “The crop was in good condition, and we were expecting a near-normal harvest. It is heart-rending that unseasonal rains have hit the crops at this stage. In many areas, fungal diseases have further reduced yields by 50 per cent.”

Farmers have spent an estimated ₹35,000 per acre on cultivation and are now demanding immediate relief measures.

They have urged the government to relax the moisture content limit from the traditional 17 per cent to 22 per cent, as the unseasonal rains have made it impossible to adhere to the existing standard.

Additionally, farmers have criticised inadequate desilting work, which prevented water from draining from fields, further worsening crop damage.

Many farmers depend on government-run Direct Procurement Centres (DPCs) to ensure profitable pricing and recover their production costs.

Delta farmers have called for comprehensive support from the government, including proper assessment of losses, regulation of harvester rents, and a revision of moisture limits to prevent financial ruin.

–IANS

aal/rad