KENDRAPARA: The onset of monsoon has brought cheer to farmers of the district, who are now busy preparing their lands for kharif cultivation.
Around 1.23 lakh hectare land will be irrigated in the district during the current season. Chief district agriculture officer Ashok Mahasuar said that the monsoon rain would be beneficial for paddy crop. Ramakant Jena, a farmer from Garadapur said the monsoon, which arrived a bit late, will accelerate agricultural operations in the district.
Erratic monsoon with scanty rainfall forces farmers to rely on canal and ground water for raising paddy. The ground water level has been constantly depleting for the last 10 years and this has been adding to the input cost on cultivation as farmers have to spend more on electricity, water and fuel. The arrival of monsoon will reduce the cost of irrigation, said president of district krushak sabha Umesh Chandra Singh. Madan Mohan Jena, a farmer from Pattamundai said as of now he does not require generators to irrigate his land.
Several farmers in the district have started hiring farm workers for cultivation. This year, the tractor owners are all set to earn more as several farmers are keen to hire tractors during the cultivation process.