After four years, Ramnad is getting ready for its second crop-growing season

Ramanthapuram has a plethora of waterbodies, which is why the district is preparing for its second agricultural season after almost four years. Farmers have begun work on the second harvest season, which may see cultivation on some 14,000 hectares, while the samba harvest season draws to an end.

Because much of the district of Ramanathapuram is rainfed, farmers often only grow samba crops in a given year. In the area, a few farmers have access to enough water to grow a second crop. In contrast to recent years, however, the monsoon’s tardiness has left waterbodies overflowing, solving the district’s irrigation problems as well.

Speaking to TNIE, a senior agricultural department official said that special district-wide campaigns would be held to engage more farmers from all 11 blocks in the second crop season, per the recommendation of District Collector Vishnu Chandran. It is anticipated that 14,500 hectares will be farmed, of which 8,500 will be used for the cultivation of cotton crops alone. The remaining will be used for oil seed, millets, and pulse farming.

It’s not common for Ramanathapuram to have a second season. Cultivating a second crop was dependent on water availability around three or four years ago. Farmers now have access to enough water to irrigate a second crop “Ramanujam, one of the farmers, stated.

Regarding horticultural crops, however, a Thiruvadanai farmer expressed regret that plants like chillies, which are ready to blossom, may be harmed by the rising temperatures leading up to summer. Farmers fear that the alteration in weather conditions may have an influence on the crop in the future, while discounting worries about any immediate effects.