Pokkali land not prepared yet, farmers concerned

Kochi: Preparations to sow seeds at the start of monsoon season have been delayed as the fields haven’t been plowed in advance.Farmers are worried that agriculture will be disrupted this year too. Rice farmers allege that this is due to an error in the Pokkali Field Development Agency (PLDA) order. PLDA, chaired by Ernakulam collector G Priyanka, regulates the agricultural calendar for Pokkali fields. The season for rice cultivation is from April 15 to Nov 14. Only the remaining five months are allowed for fish farming in these fields. However, according to the PLDA order issued on April 9, it was suggested that draining the fields and plowing them by May 30 would suffice.Despite farmers in Kochi, Paravur and Kanayannur taluks pointing out the error in the order and complaining to the authorities, no action was taken. Fish farming should have ended by April 14, and the water should have been completely drained within a week.This agricultural calendar, which farmers followed for decades, was disrupted, leading to the retention of saltwater in the fields after April 14. No action was taken by the officials concerned against the illegal water retention, citing responsibilities related to the legislative elections, said Francis Kalathinkal, general convener of Pokkali paddy Samrakshna Samithi.As a result, the recommendations of Kerala Agricultural University were ignored, he said. Only if the fields dry out completely in the intense summer heat of April can the chemical components used during fish farming be neutralized to increase production.After the water is completely drained, the dry field beds transform into ridges and furrows by April. After the residual salt content is removed by the subsequent summer rains, can rainwater from monsoon be collected for sowing crops. This scientific process has now been disrupted. The fields haven't dried because saltwater hasn't been drained. Unless the fields are properly dry and prepared, sowing won’t be effective, as experienced by land-owning farmers, said Kalathinkal, a pokkali paddy farmer in Chellanam.The order issued by Ernakulam collector is applicable to Kanayannur, Kochi, North Paravoor, Cherthala and Kodungallur taluks since she is PLDA chairperson.