Farmers in Tamil Nadu's Dharmapuri district are staring at significant financial losses and a sharp decline in crop quality due to an alarming delay in the commencement of operations at a key cooperative sugar mill. The situation has left them unable to harvest their sugarcane, which is now prematurely blooming across vast tracts of land.
Mill's Operational Delay Triggers Agricultural Crisis
The core of the problem lies with the Subramania Siva Cooperative Sugarcane Mill located in Gopalapuram. Despite the harvesting season being well underway, the mill has not yet started its crushing operations for the season. This administrative and operational delay has created a domino effect of distress for the farming community. Farmers had registered over 6,000 acres of sugarcane cultivation with this cooperative mill, primarily from the blocks of Harur, Morappur, and Pappireddipatty.
Ironically, good rainfall in recent years had encouraged farmers to expand their sugarcane cultivation area. However, the very success of their crop has turned into a liability due to the mill's inaction and a concurrent shortage of sugarcane cutters in the region.
Crop Quality Deteriorates as Sugarcane Begins to Bloom
The most visible and damaging consequence of the harvest delay is the premature blooming of the sugarcane crop. Farmer G Venkatesh explained the dire situation, stating, "Sugarcane has started to bloom due to frequent rain and mist. Its quality also started to diminish." He highlighted that fields covering more than 1,800 acres near Harur in Nachinampatty are now in full bloom, a sight that spells economic ruin.
This blooming is a critical agronomic issue. Sugarcane is meant to be harvested before it flowers. Once it blooms, the plant's energy diverts from storing sucrose in the stalk to producing seeds, leading to a drastic reduction in the sugar content or juice recovery. The harvest, which should have been completed by October, is now severely behind schedule, resulting in crops wilting and losing their commercial value.
Economic Fallout and Mounting Losses for Farmers
The combined impact of the delayed crushing season and the biological change in the crop is translating into direct financial losses. The reduced juice content directly correlates to lower payments from the mill, as remuneration is based on sugar recovery rates. Farmers are caught in a vicious cycle: they cannot harvest without the mill's schedule, and the longer the crop stays in the field, the more its value depreciates.
The crisis underscores a critical breakdown in the coordination between agricultural production and industrial processing infrastructure. The delay by the Subramania Siva Cooperative Sugarcane Mill not only jeopardizes the current season's yield but also shakes the confidence of farmers in the cooperative system, potentially affecting sowing decisions for future seasons. The need for timely intervention and a streamlined operational calendar is now more urgent than ever to prevent such recurring crises in Dharmapuri's agrarian economy.
