Floods take a toll on paddy cultivation

Heavy rains in major growing areas are taking a toll on the paddy crop. In parts of Odisha, Assam and Uttar Pradesh, the crop has already seen substantial damage.

Officials in the agriculture departments of these states are compiling data on the actual extent of the flooding. It is estimated up to 40 per cent of the crop in low-lying, flood-prone areas might be damaged in these states.

Coastal areas in Odisha (Cuttack, Balasore, Kendrapara and Jajpur) and eastern Uttar Pradesh have been significantly affected. A senior official in the Odisha agriculture department said a meeting with the chief minister had been convened to discuss the issue.

In Assam, 10 districts had been affected, officials said. Major losses were recorded in Lakhanpur, Dibrugarh, Johat and Dhemaji. About 60 per cent of the sowing has been completed in Assam. In Uttar Pradesh and Odisha, sowing is in the last stages. Trilochan Mahapatra, director, Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, said if water levels didn’t recede soon, the crop might be damaged. This year, sowing had been delayed due to the delayed monsoon, he said, adding as a result, many farmers whose nurseries were affected by the floods would be at a disadvantage, as there wasn’t scope to start the process afresh.

A fall in the paddy crop will not only affect the direct incomes of farmers, but also lead to a shortage of fodder and , consequently, hit the dairy sector.

It is estimated the kharif season accounts for 90 per cent of the paddy crop.