Down To Earth | November 29, 2024

Kulothungan C, Jyoti Nair

In the Cauvery Delta, farmers are already out in their fields as the sun rises, tending to their ready-to-harvest paddy crops and hoping for favourable weather. Their aspirations depend on the post-harvest income. After navigating the various challenges during the different stages of paddy cultivation when the crop has ripened, the “process from harvest to sale is crucial,” said Rajesh, a smallholder farmer from Nidamangalam. Paddy is the major crop in the delta. Increasing coverage of groundwater irrigation has supported farmers to grow paddy up to three times, bringing them to navigate the sale of their produce multiple times a year.