A group of farmers from Mela Urappanur near Tirumangalam petitioned the Collector’s office on Monday demanding compensation for their paddy crop affected by what they termed a mysterious blight. One of the petitioners, many farmers had sown a variety, called deluxe ponni in local parlance. However, in two months time, the crop turned reddish in colour and did not grow further, claiming that more than hundred acres of paddy crop in the region were affected.