 "Deficit rainfall likely to impact Kharif yield in Odisha")
The deficit rainfall during the Kharif sowing is set to pull down the crop yield in Odisha as the crop coverage area has slumped compared to last sowing season even as the monsoon prepares to withdraw from the state.
Paddy, the key Kharif crop, has been sown in about 3.57 million hectares (mha), which is 0.09 mha less than 3.66 mha brought under paddy coverage by mid-September of last year.
"There may be reduced yield due to less coverage area. It will be difficult to bring the remaining one lakh hectare land under paddy cultivation as the monsoon is set to withdraw in 15 to 30 days", said Anupama Baliarshing, associate professor of agro-meteorology at the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology.
Instead, farmers should opt for pre-rabi crops like pulses, maize, cowpeas for compensating the losses arising out of late and deficit rainfall, she added.
The state had bagged the coveted Krishi Karman Award thrice during the last four years, mainly riding on high paddy yield.
Odisha has received cumulative rainfall of 882.9 mm between June and September against the anticipated rainfall of 1020.6 mm, representing deficit of 13.5 per cent. Eight districts have been impacted by the deficit rainfall.
The total crop coverage area is 5.74 mha as on September 11 compared to 5.86 mha last year.
The state government has set food grain production target of 10.1 million tonne (mt) in the Kharif, 2015. This year's target includes 9.51 mt of cereals and 0.587 mt of pulses.
The cereals include 8.24 mt of rice, 1.09 mt of maize, 0.162 mt of ragi. Similarly, pulses production target comprises 0.19 mt of arhar, 0.15 mt of mung and 0.176 mt of biri.
As per the Kharif campaign 2015, cereals will be cultivated on about 4.106 mha of land with a productivity ratio of 2,316 kg per ha. This includes rice cultivation on 3.5 mha with yield rate of 2,355 kg per ha, maize on 0.4 mha with productivity quotient of 2,755 kg per ha and ragi on 0.18 mha with yield rate of 902 kg per ha.
Similarly, it is targeted to cultivate pulses on 0.965 mha with productivity ratio of 609 kg per ha.
The Kharif sowing area include 0.473 mha of oilseeds, 0.171 mha of fibres per bales, 0.351 mha of vegetables and 0.10 mha of spices.
The deficit rainfall has given a much needed fodder to the opposition parties to train guns at the ruling Biju Janata Dal. Recently, the state unit of BJP had drawn the attention of Governor S C Jamir to a draught-like situation in some of the scheduled districts and sought his intervention on the issue.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik, on Monday, sought detailed status report from agriculture department within seven days about the consequences of a possible drought in large parts of west and north Odisha.
