Paddy output may fall 40% in West Bengal

Paddy production in West Bengal is expected to fall 40 per cent due to last summer’s drought, which lowered seed production in some rice-producing districts by as much as 60 per cent. In the absence of sufficient irrigation, productivity is also likely to take a hit. Potato and boro paddy (winter rice) are the two main rabi crops of the state.

“This year we expect winter paddy production to decline 40 per cent due to lack of enough irrigation,” said state agriculture minister Naren De.

However, summer paddy production declined 1.2-1.3 million tonnes this year, as against the government projection of 2.5 million tonnes.

Normally, the total area under rice cultivation is about 5.9 million hectares. The state produces about 14.5 million tonnes paddy every year in three seasons — Aus, Aman and Boro. Rice production during the Boro season is about 4.5 million tonnes.

Potato production is likely to dip five per cent due to water shortage, though weather has been favourable so far, according to traders. The state, on an average, produces about eight million tonnes potato every year.

The extent of crop loss in the kharif season can be assessed from the poor loan off-take in the season. The government set a target of lending Rs 20,000 crore for the year. But, it was scaled down to Rs 16,000 crore due to drought. Till September, the credit disbursement was close to Rs 4,000 crore.

“In some rice-producing districts like Bankura, rice seed production declined 60 per cent. In the kharif season itself, paddy shortage was about 20 per cent. This year, the total coverage is less, but if productivity is better, there might not be any shortfall,” said Rajashri kundu, managing director, Mali Agritech, a rice trading company.

Burdwan, Birbhum, Nadia and Hooghly have the highest productivity and account for about 27 per cent rice acreage and 32 per cent production.

In West Bengal, about 62 per cent of the land is irrigated, according to official data. The state is one the largest rice producers in the country.