Harvest season turns risky as rain and procurement hurdles hit farmers in Kerala

As concerns grow over the impact of unseasonal summer rain on standing crops, persistent delays in paddy procurement, despite administrative interventions, have triggered fresh discontent among farmers in upper and north Kuttanad.

The unexpected rain, which arrived just as harvesting began, has severely dented farmer confidence. Millers, they alleged, are now pressing harder for additional concessions in procurement rates. In many places, harvested paddy remains piled in the fields, exposed and vulnerable to the downpour. Farmers fear their crops could be ruined if the exposure continues.

In Thalayolaparambu, for instance, farmers have incurred substantial costs transporting their harvest from fields to safer locations. Growers in the Vadakkeputhussery paddy fields are struggling to move paddy that has already been harvested and dried from the middle of the fields to secure storage areas.

The affected stretch covers nearly 120 acres and involves about 80 farmers, many of whom have achieved yields of up to 22 quintals per acre. Even small scale farmers are spending around ₹2,000 to transport their produce due to the adverse weather conditions.

As farmers waited for procurement by millers, heavy rains struck unexpectedly. Following this, many worked tirelessly, day and night, pumping water out of the fields in an effort to protect their crops from further damage.

Soil acidity level

M. K. Dileep, secretary of the Upper Kuttanad Karshika Vikasana Samiti, said the situation is particularly severe in areas where soil acidity levels are relatively high. In Madhuraveli near Kaduthuruthy, harvested paddy has been lying in the fields for more than a week because of hesitation from millers to procure the crop. “The millers demanded a concession as high as 25 %, which works out to 25 kg per quintal. After prolonged consultations involving officials of Supplyco, it was finally agreed to remove waste grains from the paddy. A machine has been brought from Kozha for this purpose. All this means additional expenditure for farmers,” he pointed out.

Official sources, meanwhile, said paddy from north Kuttanad has higher moisture content and discolouration, resulting in lower rice recovery compared with government norms. “In some places, millers can extract well less than the benchmark set by the Union government, which is against 68 kg per quintal. They are pushing for more concessions to cover processing costs,” a Supplyco source noted.

Responding to this, Mr. Dileep said the only long term solution is active government intervention to develop rice varieties suited to the acidic soil of the region, along with the introduction of better cultivation practices.