ROURKELA: The delayed monsoon has led to a 79 per cent rainfall deficit in June so far, forcing majority of the farmers in Sundargarh district to sit idle.
According to reports, nine blocks of Sundargarh including Subdega, Balishankara, Sadar, Lefripada and Bargaon have been witnessing no or sporadic rainfall with majority of the cultivators waiting anxiously for showers to kick-start primary farming activities.
Only a handful of farmers with assured irrigation have resorted to nursery raising of paddy saplings, while some others have started direct sowing of seeds expecting a good rainfall ahead. Sources said if there is no rainfall in the next seven to 10 days, the seeds sown may get swollen and not sprout at all.
Against June’s average rainfall of 204.30 mm, the district has received an average of barely 41.96 mm rainfall so far. The highest single day rainfall was 39.4 mm received by Bisra block on June 6. The rest 16 blocks have received a total of 12 mm to 68 mm rainfall till now.
In-charge chief district agriculture officer (CDAO) G Jayan said collector Subhankar Mohapatra on Monday held a meeting to review Sundargarh’s preparedness with contingency plan in the event of El Niño disrupting the agricultural ecosystem. He said Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also reviewed preparedness of Sundargarh and other districts in Odisha and Jharkhand through video meeting on Tuesday.
“So far in June, the deficit rainfall has been measured at 79 per cent. The district’s contingency plan prepared by the Regional Research and Technology Transfer Station at Kirei in Sundargarh has been submitted for approval of the Central government,” informed Jayan.
As of now, it has been decided that stress would be laid on crops like medium-duration paddy varieties, ragi and certain vegetables if rainfall is delayed by 15 days. If there is further delay, farmers would be encouraged to go for direct seeded paddy of certain varieties along with millets, oilseeds and vegetables and reduce the paddy components, the CDAO said.
Even as steps are being taken to face the worst-case scenario, there is every possibility of the monsoon reviving strongly in later phases as was witnessed in recent years, he added.