ROURKELA: Even as southern and coastal districts prepare to face the brunt of cyclone Arnab, farmers of Sundargarh are pinning their hopes on the storm to bring adequate rainfall and save their paddy crops from moisture stress condition.
According to reports, a sizable amount of paddy farmers are worried about low yield or total crop damage with no rainfall activity for nearly a month. Standing paddy crops in almost all 17 blocks of non-irrigated areas of rain-fed Sundargarh district are reportedly facing different degrees of moisture stress condition. In the ongoing kharif crop season, paddy cultivation has been taken up over 1,98,400 hectare of land in the district.
Ideally when paddy crops are in flowering, milking and maturity stages, one to two spells of rainfall are required to get a good harvest. Sundargarh chief district agriculture officer (CDAO) Dilip Mishra said if rains don’t occur in a few days, standing paddy crops may start to suffer damage.
He said after delayed monsoon in July and August, the district received 239 mm and 232 mm surplus rainfall respectively. There was 41 mm deficit rainfall in September, but heavy rains during the end of of the month supported the paddy crops. However, no rainfall thereafter has created the risk for non-irrigated areas, he said.
“As of now, the standing paddy crops in flowering to milking and maturity stages on medium-land without assured irrigation support are at risk of facing moisture stress condition. There is no issue with the crops on low-land which are surviving with adequate soil moisture,” he said.
Sources in the district agriculture office said during kharif season, crops are divided into short-duration autumn and long-duration winter paddy categories. Autumn paddy crops in over 48,000 hectare land have already been harvested. Majority of winter paddy crops in flowering to maturity stages on medium-land are at risk.
Among the worst affected areas are Kanakjura, Budabhal, Kutura, Bhelkidihi, Pradhanpat and several other villages of Tasladihi and Meghdega panchayats in Tangarpali block.
Mishra further said cyclone Arnab is likely to cause good rainfall in Sundargarh. “If it happens, then farmers would not have to worry,” he said.
