West Bengal government is taking all possible steps to minimise the damage during the ongoing kharif season, trying to keep total rice production for this year at the last year’s level. West Bengal, India’s largest rice-producing state, had produced about 159 lakh tonnes of rice last year. In 2014 kharif season, around 115 lakh tonnes of rice was produced by the state.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has declared 12 districts in Bengal as flood-hit with heavy rain hitting the state in July and early August. Total area under cultivation damaged by the flood is 12 lakh hectares and over 80% of the damaged farmland is under kharif rice (aus and aman) production.

According to official sources, widespread damage to standing paddy crops occurred in Bardhaman, Murshidabad, East and West Midnapore districts.

“As many as 243 blocks have been affected due to the flood. However, we are taking every measure to ensure that our state does not suffer major paddy crop loss,” West Bengal Agriculture Minister Purnendu Bose told The Financial Express. “We have issued advisory to every block, asking the affected farmers to go for replanting their paddy crops in the farmlands wherever flood waters begin to recede.”

Bose said sowing time for Kharif paddy could be extended up to first week of September for this year. Sowing process in the state normally continues to mid-August. The minister said the government had earlier set a target that during the ongoing Kharif season 42.8 lakh hectares should be under under kharif rice production.

“The government is distributing seeds and fertilisers to the flood-hit paddy growers for replantation. If the farmers are able to replant the crops in most of the affected farmlands after water recedes, then I think the full production could be achieved,” he added.

P K Majumdar, agriculture adviser to West Bengal chief minister, said the government was taking all possible steps to support the farmers to ensure that they did not suffer due to crop loss.

“We are making every effort to keep total rice production for this year at the last year’s level despite the major flood. The government is helping out the farmers wherever the flood waters are receding. And if some agricultural lands remain submerged and replantation could not take place there, the farmers would be encouraged to go for early boro paddy cultivation from November,” Majumdar added.

Usually farmers in Bengal start sowing of boro, primarily an irrigation-based crop, from November. Last year the state had produced 44 lakh tonnes of rice during rabi season. The government said apart from paddy, cultivation of vegetables, flowers, betel leaf (paan) and jute were also affected due to the heavy downpour. Total loss of agricultural production was estimated at around Rs. 1700 crore.

The chief minister put the flood damages in the state at Rs 30,000 crore and demanded Centre’s assistance for the flood-affected districts.