Agri-scientists pitch for contingency kharif plan

With the overall rainfall deficit hovering over 20 per cent in the state despite a month into the monsoon, agri-scientists have pitched for contingency plan for the ongoing kharif season if the current situation persists.

“As many as 20 districts have witnessed 20 -50 per cent deficit rainfall till July 16. The deficit is particularly noticeable in seven districts like Balasore, Kendrapada, Jajpur, Nauapada, Jagatsingpur, where the rainfall shortfall ranges from 40-50 per cent. The state government should think of contingency plans if the scenario remains for another ten days,” said Dibakar Naik, Dean, College of Agriculture at Odisha University of Agriculture & Technology (OUAT).

Paddy crop sowing has been affected in more than 50 per cent area due the sluggish rains that will impact the karif production target, he added.

Weekly report from July 10-16 prepared by the university shows that monsoon rainfall (from June 1 to July 16) in the state is short by 22.8 per cent. The position of five districts namely Balasore, Koraput, Puri, Deogarh and Keonjhar is particularly alarming.

Paddy, a major kharif crop has been sown on about 1.03 million hectares, down from 1.38 million hectares in the corresponding period of last year. Similarly, the crop area coverage is down by about 15 per cent to 2.083 million hectares as on July 13 from 2.465 million hectares a year ago.

The agri-experts advised the farmers to switch to sowing of pulses instead of paddy in high land areas particularly in rain fed districts like Nuapada, Bolangir, Mayurbhanj, Angul, Dhenkanal.

The state government has targeted food grain production at 7.65 million tonne during this year kharif. This included 7.22 million tonne of cereals (6.38 million tonne rice, 0.65 million tonne maize and 0.17 million tonne ragi), and 0.43 million tonne of pulses (0.13 million tonne arhar, 0.11 million tonne mung and 0.14 million tonne biri etc).

It will be difficult to achieve the production target unless the situation changes in next few days, added Naik.