Climate Change Shifts Sowing Seasons

There is continuous rainfall in Thoothukudi’s northern regions of India. Its including Vilathikulam, Ettayapuram, and Kovilpatti, has severely impacted farmers. Widespread crop damage, especially in onions and pulses like black gram, has left farmers facing heavy financial losses.

Agricultural lands in the northern parts of Thoothukudi primarily consist of black soil (karisal soil), which depends on seasonal rainfall for cultivation. However, shifting weather patterns caused by climate change have delayed the traditional sowing period from July-August to September. This change has made crops more vulnerable to unseasonal rains.

Crops Destroyed Across Acres

Farmers in the region usually grow black gram, green gram, maize, onions, and pearl millet. However, the recent three days of heavy rain destroyed large portions of onion and black gram cultivation.

Annakodi, a farmer from Muthupatti village near Vilathikulam, shared his struggles: “The rain has damaged my black gram and onion crops across 14 acres. I haven’t even received last year’s crop insurance claims for onions, and now this year’s harvest is already ruined.”

Prasad, another farmer from Kandasamypuram, reported a loss of USD 6.000 caused by the downpour. “This season started with hope for a good yield, but the rain has left us in distress and uncertainty,” he said.

Partial Harvest as Damage Control

Some farmers anticipated the impact and harvested their onions early, but this came at the cost of incomplete yields. Around 25 percent of farmers from Pudur managed to salvage some of their crops before the rain hit.

Call for Better Support and Subsidies

A. Varadarajan, president of the Karisal Bhoomi Farmers Association, highlighted the need for stronger government support. While the horticulture department currently offers a subsidy of USD 840 for onion storage facilities, Varadarajan stressed that this assistance does not reach all farmers.

“The subsidy must be extended to every farmer and increased to USD 2,400 to provide sufficient support during these difficult conditions,” he urged.

Conclusion

The heavy rainfall has brought immense challenges to farmers in Thoothukudi, particularly those growing onions and black gram. Delayed sowing, unseasonal rains, and inadequate financial support have added to their struggles. Farmers urgently need timely relief, expanded subsidies, and faster insurance claim processing to recover their losses and sustain their livelihoods.

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