Bengal may see 25% higher summer rice crop

Summer rice crop in WB likely to be higher by 25 per cent to 7.5 million tonnes

Ahead of elections in West Bengal, a bumper boro or summer paddy crop is expected to come as a relief for the government. Nearly 68 per cent of the population resides in rural areas.

The boro crop is sown during January-February and harvested in April-May. It was sown over nearly 1.5 million hectares this year. Informal estimates suggest the production this year could be close to 7.5 million tonnes, against nearly six mt last year, a rise of nearly 25 per cent.   

“Field conditions suggest a bumper boro crop, due to good weather and timely water supply,” said Pranab Chatterjee, professor at Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya.  

Rice production in West Bengal is spread across three seasons — aus, aman and boro. Of these, the kharif rice (aus and aman) account for about 70 per cent of the state’s production.

In 2012-13, the state produced 15.3 mt of rice, an increase of 5.5 per cent over 2011-12.

In October last year, floods in West Bengal had destroyed much of the aman or winter  crop, leading to farmer suicides  This year, the districts affected by floods included the high rice-productivity districts of Bardhaman, Hooghly, Birbhum and Nadia.These account for 27 per cent of the rice sowing and 32 per cent of output.

This year, boro acreage was the same as last year, due to a rise in  the cost of electricity, fertiliser, labour and diesel, said Ramprasad Biswas of the Gotra Krishi Samanvayi Samiti, Bardhaman.

However, high groundwater retention after floods and adequate  supply from the Damodar Valley Corporation helped farmers to a good harvest.

Caught between drought and floods, farmers in West Bengal have been struggling with falling realisations.  In addition, a poor procurement policy had often led to distress sales.