BARGARH: The Agriculture department has chalked out plans for harvest of rabi paddy crop in the district amid lockdown. Paddy has been cultivated over 63,115 hectare land with production target of 3,98,887 tonne during the current season against production of 3,95,735 tonne over 62,815 hectare last year. Harvesting begins in the last week of April in the district, also known as the ‘rice bowl of Odisha’.
The farmers, who use combine harvester for cutting paddy shoots and separating grain from hay and labourers, during the harvest, are expecting a bumper crop this season. The district has around 700 combine harvesters. Earlier, the owners of the harvesters depended on drivers from Punjab and Haryana. However, in the last few years, locals have trained to operate the machine. The district has around 500 trained drivers at present.
Chief District Agriculture Officer Dinabandhu Gandhi said harvesting of paddy will start from Attabira block and later Bheden, Bargarh and Barpali, irrigated by canals under Hirakud Dam Project, will be covered.
Farmers of the district usually get labourers from Padampur sub-division, neighbouring Balangir district and Chhattisgarh. “The district administration will grant permission to farmers to get the labourers from Padampur and Balangir. However, labourers from Chhattisgarh are not allowed into the district as of now,” Gandhi said.
Besides, permission will be granted to owners of combine harvesters to bring back their machines from other districts. Awareness on the need to maintain social distancing and personal hygiene is being created among the farmers, he added.