The drought in Bihar?the second successive year of low rains?has resulted in the state government declaring all 38 districts as drought-affected. Though rains did revive in the latter part of the season, the damage was already done. Bihar, which is one of the big rice producers, is also home to a variety of fruits and vegetables, most of which are dependent on the four-month south-west monsoon. Even a marginal drop in rains has a cascading impact on the yields, as less than half of the arable land in the state is not irrigated.
Paddy, one of Bihar’s largest crops, has been the big sufferer. The latest data from the agricultural ministry shows that till September 1 this year, paddy was sown in around 22.19 lakh hectares. Though this is around 2.16% more than the area sown last year, when taken in context with the fact that 2009 was also a drought year, the rise seems very nominal. The area sown under paddy is almost 32% less than the normal area of 32.5 lakh hectares and around 37% less than the targeted area. The big worrying factor is the condition of standing crop, as yields are not expected to be adequate. The agriculture ministry statement also points towards it and the crop condition in the 22.19 lakh hectares has been described as poor.
