Deterred by Real Estate Downturn Farmers Get Back to Agriculture

Deterred by the downturn in the real estate sector and encouraged by a good price for paddy, farmers in the southern suburbs of Chennai have given up their dreams of striking gold by selling their holdings and have reverted to agriculture in the recent months. According to Agricultural Officer, Chitlapakkam Block, Kanchipuram district, R Venkatasubramanian, cultivation of paddy varieties has come up again at many villages in the past few months. This includes Nanmangalam Medavakkam, Ottiyambakkam, Gowrivakkam, Sittalapakkam, Agaremthen and Vengaivasal - all on the fringes of Chennai.
“Farming is back in over 150 acres of land in these areas and paddy is the main crop,” the official said. The land now being used again for agriculture was originally planned for sale by the owners. However, following ‘unattractive’ land prices, they had given up their idea of selling land. “We hope that more farmers who have land and allowed it to remain barren with hopes of selling it will take up farming again,” Venkatasubramanian expressed hope, adding steps were being taken by the district administration to support and encourage agriculturists to take up farming again.
N Sripathi, a farmer of Paduvancherri about 8 km from Camp Road, Selaiyur, said he abandoned his idea of selling 2.5 acres of his land. ADP 43 variety of paddy was sown in that land and the cultivation was just getting over. J Venkatesan, another agriculturist of the same village, said most people had given up the idea of parting with their holdings because of the continuing slump in the real estate sector. “We are glad that now we get about Rs 1000 for a bag of paddy and we hope the authorities will look into our other troubles as well so that more and more people will start farming in the lands that were set apart (lying in disuse) for sale,” he said.
Ref:http://www.indianrealtynews.com/real-estate-india/deterred-by-real-estate-downturn-farmers-get-back-to-agriculture.html