Kerala facing food fall

Thrissur: Planting paddy on large swathes in expectation of copious rains and abundant harvests during Thiruvathira Njattuvela, according to conventional wisdom, between June 21 and July 4, has been a practice in Kerala. But try telling this to GenNext and you will draw a blank.

The story is that the Zamorin of Malabar once remarked:  “Aliens may take away our spices and other valuable crops but they cannot rob us of our Thiruvathra Njattuvela”. This was when someone told him that the Portuguese had pilfered valuable spices from the royal storehouse.

Thiruvathira Njattuvela marks an important period on the Malayalam calendar, evoking memories of the hoary agrarian traditions and myths and legends that sustained the people. Njattuvela means planting njaaru or saplings in the paddy field.

But this time farm scientists feel the scanty rainfall during the Thiruvathira Njattuvela bodes ill; days of shortage are ahead. A ‘drought-like situation’ looms. Kerala Agriculture University met chief, Dr. B Ajith Kumar, says the monsoon this year does not favour farming. This is the 12th instance in the past 113 years when June has recorded over 30 percent rain deficit.

Idukki and Palakkad are reeling under extreme dry weather conditions and the deficit here was 56 and 52 per cent respectively till June 30. Even Thiruvanathapuram stares a huge deficit. The State received 404 mm rainfall between June 1 and 18, as compared to normal precipitation of 564.41 mm as per statistics available at Vellayani agriculture met centre.

Dr. P V Balachandran, director of extension, Kerala Agriculture University, said the deficit rainfall might upset seasonal rice production and vegetable cultivation. Palakkad, the rice bowl of Kerala, could be the most affected. “Direct seeding into dry soil needs uninterrupted rainfall. Even though the majority of farmers have already done direct seeding, drought-like situation deprives sensitive saplings of moisturized temperature”.

Kuttanad, another granary, has been able to hold fort, somewhat. “But in both places, less rainfall promotes a high weed population, which damages the entire crop as paddy needs to grow in the watershed”, said Dr. Ajith Kumar.   

In Palakkad, many farmers have decided to forgo the second crop because of poor rainfall. According to Mr Sujith Lal of Chittur, a textile engineer-turned-organic farmer, this time paddy may wilt with deficit rain. If monsoon fails to pick up, the crop is gone,” he said. Rubber growers’ hopes rest on the rest of the southwest monsoon.

“Coupled with the price fall, a deficit monsoon would affect the latex industry”, says Mr Robin John of Kanjirapilly. Normal monsoon helps us with a good yield but this time it doesn’t look good, he said.

It’s also scary for altitude crops such as pepper, cardamom and coffee. Pepper flowering depends on good monsoon and this gives high yield, cheering up high-rangers, whose acres are more susceptible to seasons.  

Munnar fears a crop loss of 20 percent, informs an official of Tea Board of India. Many tea estates have suspended plucking. Looks like no crop will be spared as a good part of the monsoon has played truant so far.