Dry spell and costlier fertilizer put Thrissur paddy farmers on edge

A weak monsoon and an extended dry spell have left paddy farmers in Thrissur anxious, with water in several fields dropping to minimal levels just as the planting season gets under way.

In Velukkara panchayat, where about 500 acres are farmed by 12 paddy societies, cultivators say there is barely enough water to plant seedlings. "If the dry spell continues, paddy cultivation could be in serious trouble by next month," said Tom Kiran, a young farmer from the panchayat.

Organic farmer Sreeja of Arangottukara said the shortage is already visible in fields where planting has been completed. "If this continues, the newly planted seedlings will dry up," she said.

The timing is critical. Most fields have finished initial land preparation and seedlings are going in, but the monsoon is expected to withdraw by the end of the month, leaving farmers to pin their hopes on the northeast monsoon, or Thulavarsham. Preparations in the kole fields have also been clouded by the continuing dry weather and the prospect of erratic conditions disrupting the crop cycle.

The uncertainty follows two hard years in which heavy rain and flooding destroyed crops, in some cases forcing farmers to replant seedlings as many as three times. With little time to raise their own seedlings, several bought them last year, adding to labour and cultivation costs, only to see a poor harvest. Many whose crops were lost are still awaiting insurance claims.

Water is not the only worry. Farmers say fertilizer prices have climbed by more than 50 per cent over the past year, with commonly used varieties such as Factomfos and potash becoming sharply costlier. The increase is squeezing paddy, coconut, banana and vegetable growers alike.

"At a time when water availability in the outer channels is declining, the increase in input costs is another major blow to farmers," said Kolangatt Gopinathan, president of a Kolepadavu cooperative society.

Declining water levels in dams are adding to concerns about irrigation in the weeks ahead. Across the Thrissur-Ponnani kole fields, roughly 30,000 farmers cultivate paddy on nearly 13,000 hectares. With the crop at a crucial planting stage, farmers warn that a prolonged dry spell could make the coming weeks decisive.