<span style="color: #222222;">In Tamil Nadu, the total caseload of COVID-19 infection has crossed the three lakh mark. With 5,914 people tested positive yesterday, the total count has gone up to 3,02,815. However, the number of recovered people has also surged to over two lakh forty four thousand. The fatalities due to the pandemic have exceeded five thousand as 114 succumbed to the disease in the last 24 hours.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Data shows paddy cultivation in the state has remained largely unaffected during the COVID-19 induced lockdown. AIR correspondent reports that theTamil Nadu Agriculture Department says the Kuruvai cultivation in the Cauvery Delta region is being made at 3.87 lakh acres this time. The crop season is equivalent to the Kharif season nationwide.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The coverage of the paddy cultivation this year is over a lakh acres more as compared to the season last year. In the whole state this year so far, 28 lakh metric tonnes of paddy has been procured from the farmers, as against the average figure of 23 lakh metric tonnes in the previous years. It shows paddy cultivation remains unhindered by the prevailing pandemic situations. </span> <br />