Sparse monsoon rainfall leaves farmers worried
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Puyam Romeshwor
Imphal, June 22 2015 :
Concerned over the scanty rainfall, the Agriculture Department has instructed all district Agriculture Officers (AOs) to submit their own report on the current condition of paddy fields across the State.
Like many States of the country Manipur is facing a scanty rainfall condition which has seriously affected the cultivation of summer crops this season.
But some officials at the Agriculture Department stated that farming in Manipur can be done till mid August.
Officials at the State Agriculture Department stated that the sparse monsoon rainfall has left farmers worried and that the department is preparing to tackle the problem.
They, however, said normal crop growing is still possible if there is an increase in the rainfall rate in the next few days though the arrival of monsoon is late.
The officials also informed that the rise in the temperature has allowed delayed farming in the State now.
"Crop growing activities can be continued till mid August unlike before" .
At the same time, the Agriculture Department has kept ready some varieties of rice that can be cultivated and reaped in a short period of time.
They are RR-64, Noren-18, China-1, 988 and PAC-807 .
Such rice varieties can be harvested within 90-110 days, the officials said.
All district AOs have been asked to submit their own detailed report on the present condition of paddy fields and only after that the Agriculture Department will take up all measures to tackle the problem, they said.
The department has procured 15,000 metric ton of urea.
Should the need arise, the department is all ready to supply fertilizer at subsidized rate to farmers, they said.
The officials also cleared that now supplying irrigation water to farmland is the duty of the IFCD or Minor Irrigation and not the Agriculture Department.