Paddy crops grown in a field at Kannankurichi in Salem District | Photo credit: E. Lakshmi Narayanan
The joint family, which owns about two dozen acres of land in a village near Sattur in Virudhunagar district, has grown maize this year. The family spent around ₹ 9 lakh but could only earn ₹ 4 lakh, incurring a loss of ₹ 5 lakh. “Our area is only suitable for dry land farming because there is no scope for irrigation through any river network. Of course, there is not much rain. That is why we have grown crops like maize, millet or if possible cotton. We sometimes choose black gram as a catch crop,” explains an elderly family member.
Speaking of the economic viability of farming, an elderly person says that even though the family has enough funds to sustain a loss this year, they have decided not to farm on their own any longer because the elders are quite sure that the younger family members are not interested in farming.
Published – 14 Apr 2026 15:56 IST
