BHUBANESWAR: With some districts of the state receiving adequate rainfall in the last one week, area under paddy cultivation this kharif season has marginally improved to 53 per cent (pc) from 63 pc shortfall in the previous week. The situation, however, is still not encouraging as more than half of the targetted crop coverage area has not been met yet.
While the Agriculture department is not ready to share information on kharif crop coverage, data available from the National Food Securing Mission (NFSM) on area covered under kharif rice till July 14, 2023 stated only 2.89 lakh hectare land in Odisha is under paddy cultivation against 5.44 lakh hectare during the same period last year and 9.05 lakh hectare in 2021.
As per the crop weather watch group report of the Directorate of Agriculture and Food Production (DA&FP) for 2022-23 kharif season, over 9.10 lakh hectare were covered under rice cultivation by July 16, 2022.
The state government has planned to cover 35 lakh hectare under paddy cultivation during this kharif season. The total kharif crop coverage area in the state by the end of second week of July is 5.43 lakh hectare against 10.31 lakh hectare during the same period last year, said the crop division report of NFSM.
Similarly, coverage under pulses has reduced from 95,100 hectare in 2022 to 31,900 hectare this year while under oilseeds, it has come down from 46,000 hectare to 20,000 hectare. In its advisory to coastal districts experiencing deficit rainfall, the Meteorological Centre has advised farmers to cultivate rice varieties of 115-120 days duration on medium land and 125-130 days duration on low land.
As per rainfall data provided by Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar, the seasonal cumulative rainfall from June 1 to July 20 this year is 355.6 mm which is 15 per cent less than normal. At least 13 districts of the state have recorded 30 pc to 50 pc deficit rainfall with Nabarangpur topping the list with around 50 per cent.
Mayurbhanj and Kalahandi are the other two districts which have recorded cumulative deficit rainfall of 46 pc and 45 pc respectively. Other districts where kharif operations have been hit due to less rainfall are Ganjam and Khurda (38 pc each), Rayagada and Balasore with 36 pc, Cuttack (33 pc), Puri (31 pc), Kendrapara (30 pc), Jajpur (27 pc), Kandhamal (26 pc) and Nayagarh (20 pc).
Worrying figures
2.84 lakh ha under paddy cultivation till July 14
State govt has planned to cover 35 lakh ha under paddy cultivation this kharif season
13 districts have recorded 30 to 50 pc deficit rainfall