A prolonged summer and a weak monsoon in south Bengal, one of the biggest rice growing regions in the country, has threatened to pull down production during the main season for the cash crop. While south west monsoon arrived nine days late in West Bengal, it has remained weak in the southern districts of the state and has, as a result, delayed preparation of seed bed for the Kharif paddy crop.
Agriculture department director Paritosh Bhattacharjee said, ?Preparation of seed bed has been affected in some parts of south Bengal. We have asked the farmers to prepare seed beds as close to the irrigation canals or sources of assured irrigation as possible. That has helped in reducing the impact of adverse weather conditions. But it is too early to assess the production during the Kharif season.?
According to him, the state faced a drought-like situation in eight districts in 2010 and took precautionary measures to prevent such losses this year.
Kolkata Met office data shows that during the period June 1-July 4, the districts like Burdwan, Hooghly, 24 Parganas (north & south), Kolkata, Midnapore (west & east), Nadia, Bankura and Purulia remained rain deficit. The deficit during the period ranged from 27% to as much as 61%.
?The situation will change once the southern districts receive adequate rainfall,? said Bhattacharjee. Districts in north Bengal have received normal or near normal rainfall. The state agriculture department officials are meeting representatives of northern districts and taking stock of the situation.
According to Insecticide India managing director Rajesh Aggarwal, there will not be any major loss to the state towards the Kharif paddy production in West Bengal. ?We may have to suffer minimal loss of certain Kharif production, but we are sure, that it will be taken care of.?
West Bengal produced around 100 lakh tonne paddy during the Kharif season (comprising both Aus and Aman variety) in 2011 due to excess rainfall, against 105 lakh tonne in 2010. The average Kharif paddy production for the state is 90 lakh tonne. This year it has targetted to increase the area under cultivation from 41 lakh hectare (ha) ? 2 lakh ha for Aus and 39 lakh ha for Aman ? in 2011 to 42.9 lakh ha in 2012.