Collector R. Vaithinathan addressing farmers at Theni Collectorate on Friday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
With poor rainfall and irregular distribution of water for irrigation due to encroachments in waterways, many fields appeared bone dry, said farmers at the monthly grievance meeting in Theni on Friday.District Collector R. Vaithinathan presided over the meeting in which District Revenue Officer Rajkumar, District Forest Officer Kiran, Joint Director (Agriculture) Balasaraswathi, Joint Registrar (Cooperatives) Narmadha and PA (Agriculture) to Collector Valarmathi and others participated.The farmers who had turned up in large numbers said that the Tamil Nadu government should declare the district as drought-hit and provide compensation to the farmers as they were not able to get water. When officials pointed out that against a normal average annual rainfall of 384 mm, they had received 398 mm till August, the farmers said that mismanagement and lack of proper distribution of water had resulted in a mess. Many farmers in tail-end areas have planned to give up cultivating this season, they claimed.Between Kottakudi and Karaimadai, the crops had withered. Likewise, many coconut trees in and around the Vaigai dam too needed water immediately, they pointed. The Collector said that he would discuss with the officials in this regard.When sugarcane growers raised the issue of arrears not being settled to them by the Rajshree Sugars, the Collector said that the officials would take steps in this regard and payments would be made in the seniority order. He also suggested to display the settlement made to the farmers on a weekly basis as it would be transparent. Following the assurance, the farmers thanked the officials.Like the storage space provided in markets for farmers to keep their produce like onion and tomatoes, the farmers wanted similar infrastructural facilities built in key locations, where they can store them at a low cost and be assured that the commodities were fresh. The Collector said that he would examine the feasibility by holding discussion with Horticulture department and others.The Tamil Nadu government should waive the crop loans in an uniform manner and stop categorising them. All are farmers and let there not be any difference or categorisation as big or small. Loss due to reasons beyond a farmer should be compensated only by the government.The district administration should open a direct procurement centre in Theni and ensure that the DPC functioned through out the year and not only during season. A permanent DPC has been demanded for long and the new government should implement it, the farmers said. Published - August 21, 2026 10:03 pm IST
