BHUBANESWAR:The State Government has decided to encourage farmers to cultivate non-paddy crops in the ensuing rabi and kharif seasons to compensate for the crop loss due to drought situation arising out of inadequate rainfall.
This was decided at a high-level meeting presided over by Chief Secretary GC Pati at the Secretariat on Friday.
“Since water level in the reservoirs have dropped due to inadequate rainfall, farmers will be encouraged to grow non-paddy crops. Inputs will be provided to the farmers by the Government and we will inform all the Collectors after preparing plans about the types of crop to be cultivated in different regions,” Pati told mediapersons after the meeting.
Water can be provided to non-paddy crops in which the farmers will get more benefit. The community lift irrigation points in the State have a capacity to irrigate paddy crop on three lakh hectare (ha). But using the same water, non-paddy crops can be cultivated on five to six ha of land, the Chief Secretary said.
The Chief Secretary directed the Agriculture Department to advise the farmers to cultivate moong, biri and other pulses from November to January and switch over to vegetable cultivation from February to June.
Water will be provided to different canals in the State in two phases during the year, from November 15 to January 15 and from January 15 to June. The Water Resources Department will provide the detail information in this regard for preparation of crop planning for different ayacut areas. Coordination committees will be constituted for different regions to prepare and implement the crop planning.
The Chief Secretary said a drive to encourage farmers to undertake System Rice Intensification (SRI) method of paddy cultivation will be launched soon. “In the low-lying areas where only paddy can be cultivated, the farmers will be encouraged to grow paddy in SRI method which requires about 40 per cent less water,” he said.
Drought impact
2 Agriculture Dept will advise farmers to cultivate pulses from November to January and switch over to vegetable cultivation from February to June
2 Water Resources Dept will provide detail information for preparation of crop planning for different ayacut areas
2 Coordination committees will be constituted for different regions to prepare and implement the crop planning