Sat Nov 15 13:59:11 UTC 2025: News Article:

Coimbatore Farmers Concerned as 5,000 Acres Turn Fallow, Demand Fair Prices

Coimbatore, India – November 15, 2025: Farmers in Coimbatore district are expressing growing concern over the increasing amount of agricultural land being classified as “fallow,” with an estimated 5,000 acres abandoned in the last year alone. This issue was a central point of discussion at a farmers’ meeting held in Coimbatore on Friday, where speakers emphasized the urgent need for a government-mandated minimum procurement price for agricultural produce.

V.K.S.K. Senthil Kumar, a member of the Coimbatore District Agricultural Production Committee, urged authorities to address the plight of farmers promptly. K. Sellamuthu, president of Uzhavar Uzhaipalar Katchi, stated that unremunerative prices for crops are pushing farmers into debt.

Tamil Selvi, Joint Director of Agriculture for Coimbatore, confirmed the 5,000-acre figure and explained that the conversion to fallow land is most prevalent in the rain-fed northern regions of the district and heavily influenced by rainfall patterns. Data from the Tamil Nadu State Land Use Research Board indicates that fallow land totaled 23,196 hectares between 2015 and 2020.

While leaving land fallow is a common practice in canal-fed irrigation areas to restore soil fertility, the primary drivers of agricultural land conversion in rain-fed areas include industrialization, urbanization, poor soil fertility, inadequate water supply, and low economic returns from farming. Farmers are now calling on the government for immediate action to address these issues and prevent further loss of agricultural land in the district.

Summary:

Farmers in Coimbatore, India, are worried about the increasing amount of agricultural land that is being classified as “fallow,” meaning unused. Approximately 5,000 acres have become fallow in the past year due to factors like low crop prices, unreliable rainfall, industrialization, and poor soil quality. Farmers are demanding the government set a minimum purchase price for their crops to alleviate their financial burden and prevent more land from being abandoned.

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