Perumpilavu: Activities related to paddy cultivation during the ‘virippu’ season (the first season of the year) have started in the Kadavallur area of Thrissur after the fields were filled in the rains. However, ‘virippu’ cultivation will take place only in the fields at Korattikkara and Ottapilavu this year.

A major change in the method adopted this year is that planting of saplings is being carried out, instead of sowing seeds. Even though sowing had been done in some areas, incessant rains destroyed the seeds. Farmers, who had anticipated such a situation, had prepared saplings in dedicated areas which were subsequently planted in the fields.

Starting the cultivation by planting saplings will lead to higher labour costs, but it can reduce the menace of weeds and boost the growth of the plants, farmers said. They are now hoping for the rains to subside for a few days, which would be beneficial to the saplings. “Excess rain causes waterlogging in paddy fields, which harms young saplings,” explained a farmer.

Farmers also pointed out that even though the Agriculture Department distributes seeds free of cost for ‘mundakan’ crop (the second season of the year), no such offer is available for ‘virippu’. “We purchase seeds at ₹42 per kg from private persons for the cultivation,” said a farmer.

Meanwhile, the area under ‘virippu’ cultivation is shrinking drastically in Kadavallur, where paddy is cultivated on 850 acres of land by around 500 farmers. While ‘virippu’ was carried out on almost 150 acres in the past, the area has decreased to less than 20 acres this year. Farmers cite crop loss due to climate change and the severe threat of weeds for the situation. Additionally, the government has not prepared proper guidelines to procure paddy harvested during ‘virippu’, which leads to a delay in payments for farmers. Yet another reason keeping farmers away from the ‘virippu’ crop is the high cost of protecting harvested paddy from rains.