For Viable and Sustainable Paddy Production in Cauvery Delta Zone, Tamil Nadu, India

Paddy is the primary crop in Cauvery Delta Zone (CDZ), the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu, India, covering around 60 per cent of gross cropped area and contributing 30 per cent of the state's paddy production. The total area under paddy cultivation in Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai districts of CDZ, where paddy is cultivated extensively, have fallen from 6.56 lakh hectares in 1971-72 to 5.42 lakh hectares in 2018-19. While, the fallow land had increased from a triennium average of 65.47 thousand hectares in 19992000 to 92.57 thousand hectares in 2018-19. The existing yield gap in paddy in this region is 14.25-17.45 quintal/ hectare in Kuruvai (June-mid-September) season and 9.13-17.01 quintal/ hectare in Thaladi (Mid-September – January) season. The M S Swaminathan Research Foundation conducted an in-depth study between 2020-2022 to identify drivers to accelerate economically viable and ecologically sustainable production of paddy in the CDZ. The primary survey conducted among 350 farmers across the four districts, pointed out that farmers facing water related problems (excess or scarcity) are harvesting about 6 quintals lesser grain yield per hectare. The difference in yield (20 quintal/ hectare) is highest in summer season when the water scarcity problem is acute. Even after controlling for other factors, water problem turned out to be the main factor affecting the yield in CDZ. Accordingly, the study revealed the need to address key issues such as timely access to water, modernizing drainage and water harvesting of excess unseasonal rainfall, improvement in irrigation infrastructures, and access to drying and storage facilities. Tamil Nadu state government, in the 2023-24 agriculture budget, allocated Rs. 1000 crore for the next five years to build agro-industry infrastructures. However, there is a need for far more investments for easy availability of farm machinery for timely land preparation, weeding and harvesting; for better post-harvest processing and marketing; to increase in farm credit to purchase inputs and hiring of labour; to support use of quality seeds, integrated nutrient and pest management; to improve the knowledge and skills of the farmers in adopting the technologies; to ease institutional linkages in accessing relevant services and resources.