Deficient rainfall hits kharif sowing

Deficient rainfall has taken a toll on the sowing of kharif crops in the state with the sowing area falling by nearly five per cent in the April-June period at 1.02 million hectares against 1.08 million hectares in the comparable period of 2011.

According to available data of state agriculture department, paddy, a major kharif crop has been sown on about 6,66,992 hectares, down from 7,90, 330 hectares in the corresponding period of last year.

Government data for the month ending June reveals that 25 of the 30 districts have recorded deficient rainfall in the state.

During June, the state average rainfall was 26.6 per cent less than the normal.

In June, the state has received 158.9 millimeter (mm) against the normal anticipated rainfall of 216.5 mm.

“We are keeping our fingers crossed before drawing any conclusion on the impact of deficient rainfall. The picture will be clear in the next seven to eight days”, said Sankarsana Nanda, dean of the city-based Odisha University of Agriculture & Technology (OUAT).

The deficit in rainfall last month is likely to be compensated in July that would recharge the agriculture operations in the state, said an official of the agriculture department.

“We are also hopeful of achieving the target of producing 20 per cent higher food grains during kharif 2012”, added the official.