Paddy sowing picks up pace in Uttar Pradesh

The paddy plantation in Uttar Pradesh has picked up with the monsoon finally reaching the state after a month’s delay. Till last Sunday, 5.82 million hectares out of the target of 9.28 million hectares for paddy plantation, has been covered. The sowing of other kharif crops is also progressing fast.

According to the state agriculture department data, the state has recorded 206 mm of rainfall till July 24 — a shade below the normal. The rainfall in eastern UP districts, known as the rice bowl of the state, has been good. The rainfall, since the last 10 days, has rekindled hopes of paddy farmers. Last year, rainfall till July 24 was 136 mm.

According to the director of agriculture, UP, J P Tripathi, the paddy plantation has picked up in the last one week following steady showers in the eastern part of the state. He said in comparison to last year, plantation has improved and so would production.

He said till the second week of July, rain was 50 per cent below average in the state. Maize sowing in the state is almost complete. This year the state government had set a target of 920,000 hectares for maize, 330,000 hectares for jowar and 879,000 hectares for pulses.

According to S K Singh, an official of the agriculture department, the target of paddy has not been revised as rain picked up only in the last one week. He said till date 68 per cent of the sowing target of kharif crop has been achieved and the remaining 34 per cent will be completed by August 10.

Sowing acreage of the kharif crop declined by around 30 per cent due to poor rainfall. The target of paddy plantation for the crop season 2009 was 8.9 million hectares which was later revised to 7.2 million hectares.