Turmeric cultivation at a cluster of villages on the foot of Pachamalai has been brisk, following bountiful rain due to the onset of northeast monsoon. Attractive price for turmeric, simultaneous and steep demand for the produce during the ‘Pongal’ festival and total clearing of bags stocked in the past three years are some of the major factors which have contributed to the brisk cultivation of the produce in the block which is ideally suited for turmeric by virtue of presence of red laterite soil all around, according to official sources.
Although the area under the turmeric cultivation has been steady on about 200 hectares, cultivation has resumed after a gap of three years.
“All these three years, the crop had been stocked and farmers had cleared it till ‘Pongal’ 2015.
With the total stock having been exhausted, farmers have raised the cultivation of turmeric this season to meet the demand for ‘Pongal’ 2016.
Farmers are hopeful of realising attractive returns during the ‘Pongal’ festival. Against Rs. 6,000 realised last year, the price per quintal is expected to be Rs. 10,000, says the official.
One of the farmers, Saveriar of Shobanapuram village, says he had cultivated two acres of land this season, after a gap of three years. Most farmers had cultivated Co-1, Co-2, or BSR-1variety – all of 10 months’ duration.
The crop needed copious water for irrigation, particularly during the initial four or five months. “The current spell of monsoon has come as a blessing for turmeric,” he says. Farmers anticipated an average yield of 20 quintals an acre.
The only advantage of the crop is that it could be stocked for about three years and marketed for a more prospective price. However, the ‘Pongal’ festival provides more prospects every year.
Source : The Hindu
No comments:
Post a Comment