Chennai, Nov 11 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu Agriculture Department has confirmed that over 14,000 acres of ready-to-harvest paddy crops in the Cauvery Delta region have been severely affected by continuous rainfall over the past week.

The affected areas include the districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, and Nagapattinam, which are among the state’s largest rice-producing regions.

According to official figures, short-term paddy crops were cultivated across 6.5 lakh acres in the delta this year as part of the Kuruvai season. The bumper production, however, has created an unexpected problem — a glut in rice supply coupled with storage delays by the Food Department.

Farmers have complained that procurement centres have been slow in lifting and storing harvested paddy, leading to heaps of paddy bags piling up outside the direct procurement centres. With the onset of the northeast monsoon, these open heaps were soaked in rainwater, causing the grains to sprout and rot.

“We worked hard throughout the season, but the delay in procurement has left us helpless. Now, the paddy we harvested is useless,” a farmer from Thanjavur lamented.

Officials also noted that late-sown Kuruvai crops and early Samba crops have suffered damage due to waterlogging.

“Several fields that were ready for harvest have gone underwater, and many crops have started decaying,” an agriculture official said.

In response, the Agriculture Department has initiated a comprehensive survey to assess the extent of crop loss in each delta district.

Preliminary assessments indicate that around 14,000 acres of paddy fields are either completely submerged or partially damaged, with the figure expected to rise as inspections continue.

Farmers’ associations have urged the state government to provide immediate compensation and swift insurance settlements, pointing out that repeated monsoon-related damages and procurement delays are pushing many small farmers into debt.

With the northeast monsoon intensifying, officials have been directed to monitor field drainage and expedite grain procurement to prevent further losses in Tamil Nadu’s vital rice belt.

–IANS

aal/skp