Sulagiri farmers who hunted and fenced their sari to protect their crops from wild animals

Krishnagiri: Farmers fence their fields with old dhoti, sarees and cloths to protect their crops from wild animals in Chulagiri region.

Most of the villages in Choolagiri and Veppanappalli Panchayat Unions are surrounded by hills and forests. The people of this region depend on agriculture for their livelihood.

Crop damage by animals: Especially the villages of Choolagiri, Basthalapalli, Melumalai, Kalingavaram, Chinnaru, Ramanthotti, Avalantham, Kondappanayanapalli etc. are adjacent to the forest area.

Moreover, crop damage by wild animals has increased in recent times for farmers engaged in cultivation along the foothills and reserve forests. Due to this, farmers are facing loss of income. In this case, from wild animals

In a new effort to protect crops, farmers have fenced paddy and ragi fields with old vetis, sarees and cloths. Farmers said that it is yielding some results.

Yield does not come home: In this regard, some farmers said: If you cultivate in the lands adjacent to the forest, reserve forest and mountains, the yield does not fully reach the house. The main reason for this is crop damage caused by animals such as elephants, wild boars, peacocks, deers and monkeys, resulting in high losses.

Compensation is provided by the forest department only in case of crop damage caused by elephants and wild boars. Sometimes getting compensation is also a problem. In particular, it does not provide compensation for crop damage caused by peacocks.

Temporary solution: As a temporary solution to protect the crops from wild animals, we have fenced the fields with old dhoti, sarees and cloths from the house. We are on guard during the day. At night, when the cloths tied to the fence sway in the wind, the wild boars do not enter the field because they are afraid of people. Currently, we protect the crop by erecting such fences in paddy fields. Thus they said.