CHENNAI: An agricultural workers' union has opposed the State government’s announcement of subsidy of Rs 4,000 per acre for farmers using the mechanised paddy transplanter saying it would render women farm labourers jobless and also lead to migration of workers from Cauvery delta districts. Mechanisation of agricultural activities in the delta districts, including Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagappatinam, would affect the livelihood of 15 lakh farm workers, A. Lasar, state president of All India Agricultural Workers Union, said.
"During the kuruvai crop season, the workers will get 20 to 30 days of work in places of cultivation. A male worker will get a wage of Rs 600 per day while a female worker will get Rs 200 a day. A family can get Rs 800 a day and during the Kuruvai season they will earn upto Rs 20,000. But the Rs 40 crore allotted for sowing works by the State government will only benefit companies owning paddy transplanters," he said demanding that the State government not insist on using paddy transplanters in place of agricultural labourers during kuruvai cultivation.
Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had announced Rs 54 crore package for kuruvai cultivation in three lakh acres in delta districts using groundwater. "Farmers will be encouraged to follow a system of rice intensification mode of cultivation making use of paddy transplanters to ensure timely paddy sowing with adequate crop population and reduced use of water. Those farmers who are using paddy transplanter for sowing will be paid cent per cent subsidy at the rate of Rs 4,000 per acre," she said in statement.
However, V.Ravi, Director, Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute at Aduthurai, Thanjavur, said paddy transplanter is being used due to shortage of labour and also it helps bring down cost of cultivation. "Labour is not sufficiently available to cover the full cultivation area. Because of labour scarcity, if we delay transplantation of saplings, it will affect crop yield," he said. The machines have several advantages over using labour for transplanting, he said adding that transplanter helps maintain optimum spacing between both inter and intra rows of saplings to ensure good yield. "Saplings transplanted using machines require less maintenance. Hence, farmers will be able to bring down cost of cultivation by Rs 4,500 to Rs 16,600 per acre while using transplanter," he said.
The agronomist also dismissed the union's complaint that workers would go jobless if machines were used for sowing. "I don't think use of machines will affect farm workers. Machines are not suitable for all kinds of land in terms of holding size. Hence, there are enough lands available to provide jobs for the workers," he said.
