Bengal for alternative agriculture to counter deficit rainfall

"We are giving more stress on alternative agriculture in the prevailing situation with advices to farmers for cultivation of pulses, maize, mustard seed etc," state's Agriculture Director Paritosh Bhattacharya said after a high-level meeting in the department.

Steps have also been taken to bring enriched seeds for alternative agriculture, Bhattacharya said.

There was 27 per cent deficit rainfall on an average in the south Bengal districts till today, while in north Bengal the rainfall was normal, he said.

The affected districts, where deficit rainfall has become a matter of concern, included Purulia, Bankura, Birbhum, Hooghly, West Midnapore and Burdwan.

State's Agriculture Minister Rabindranath Bhattacharya earlier said that the situation was getting from bad to worse due to deficit rainfall in south Bengal districts specially.

However, the paddy seed belts are not yet affected. But plantation has been possible in the south so far only in about 25 per cent land, while it was 52 per cent in north Bengal districts, the minister said.