UP farmers expect bumper paddy crop this year with good monsoons

After several years, farmers completed paddy plantation in more than 80% of crop area by the third week of July

While there is considerable gloom on the industrial front in Uttar Pradesh, paddy farmers in the state are expecting a good crop due to above-average rain this monsoon. After several years, UP farmers completed paddy plantation in more than 80 per cent of crop area in the third week of July. In most of the paddy-rich districts above average rain has been recorded this year in July.

According to agriculture department officials, in most of the districts the plantation of early variety of paddy has been completed. Only a few farmers, who are waiting to harvest maize crop, will complete paddy plantation in the coming week. There has been good rain in Barabanki, Basti, Gonda, Behraich, Balrampur, Sant Kabeernagar, Siddharthnagara, Deoria, Kushinagar and Mahrajganj districts, which are collectively known as the rice bowl of UP.

Paddy is generally sown on about six million hectares in UP, and so far plantation has been completed in around 50-52 hectares. The officials said that in 25 districts of UP, there has been 120 per cent rain while in 14 districts it is 80-100 per cent. Only 13 districts, mainly in Bundelkhand and western UP, have recorded moderate 40 per cent rain in first three weeks of July.

According to agriculture scientist S K Singh, urea consumption this year itself supports the rate of bumper paddy plantation. He said so far 1.12 million tonnes of urea have been consumed this paddy season so far this year. Last year 690.000 tonnes were consumed. Singh said a large number of farmers this year have preferred indigenous variety of paddy seeds to hybrid. According to him, good rain, limited use of insecticides, better prices and increased awareness could be the reason behind this. He said 10-15 per cent farmers used indigenous variety paddy seeds this year.