Even as the overall crop condition in the State is normal, the Government is keeping a watch on the situation in 23 blocks where the rainfall is severely deficient to scanty.
According to the latest crop weather watch report of the Agriculture Department, five blocks have reported deficient rainfall of more than 59 per cent. Those blocks are Soro in Balasore district, Nuagaon in Jagatsinghpur district, Kanatapara in Cuttack district and Belpada in Balangir district.
The report stated that 23 blocks have experienced severe deficient rainfall of 39 to 59 per cent of the normal. However, moisture stress condition has not been reported from any part of the State, said Director, Agriculture Production, Santh Gopalan.The recent spell of rains in coastal districts have recd the crop condition in several blocks of Cuttack, Puri, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts.
Refuting the reports published in a section of the press that the crop condition has worsened in many parts of Jagatsinghpur district, district Collector Satya Mallick told this paper that parts of Nuagaon and Balikuda blocks were affected but recouped due to intermittent rain during the last few days. Mallick said more than 80 per cent of the agricultural land of the district are under assured irrigation while the administration has taken care of the remaining 20 per cent by providing irrigation through lift irrigation points. In case of a prolonged dry spell, the situation may worsen in a few pockets, he added. Gopalan said the advisory has been issued to Collectors to keep a close watch on the blocks which have received severe deficient or scanty rainfall and take measures to provide irrigation from whatever water resources available in those areas.
The State experienced deficient rainfall of 33 per cent in August and 31 per cent till September 13. Pest attack has been reported from several parts of the State. While pest attack on paddy crops is of high intensity over an area of 7800 hectares, intensity is moderate in 18,000 hectares and of low intensity in about 57,000 hectares. Meanwhile, 48,000 hectares have been treated with pesticides.
Early verities of paddy are at flowering to grain filling stage while medium paddy is at optimum tillering to panicle stage. The late paddy is at seedling to tillering stage, Gopalan said.