Agri dept asks all AOs to submit reports of paddy damage
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network

Imphal, November 08 2012: The Manipur Agriculture Department has instructed all the concerned district Agricultural Officers (AOs) to submit their relevant reports on the destruction caused to paddy fields by incessant rain during the last four days.

With an aim to recuperate the failure of flowering of crop due to scanty rainfall this season and also to make up the destructed paddy by heavy shower in the last four days, Agriculture Department is also planning to provide winter crop seeds to the farmers by November 15, L Palandro, Director, Agriculture Department told Newmai News Network on Thursday.

The department is taking necessary steps to know how far the incessant downpour from November 4-7 has done damage to the crop during the crucial period of harvesting stage in the state.

The concerned district AOs have been instructed by the department to submit their respective reports on the recent destruction caused by rain during the harvesting stage, Palandro said.

However, as of now, not a single district AO has submitted the report in responding to the instruction, the Director further told Newmai News Network at the Head Office of the department.

According to statistics collected from Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Lamphelpat, the total rainfall that recorded from November 4-7 was 88.0 mm.

The rainfall received on November 4 was registered at 5.2 mm, November 5 recorded 9.9 mm, November 6 received 13.7mm and November 7 received the highest rainfall during the four days at 59.2 mm.

The total area of paddy fields both in the hill and valley is 1.95 lakh acres.

Several fields were left without farming due to late monsoon coupled with insufficient rainfall.

Some places in the four valley districts of Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal and Bishnupur could not grow crop due to insufficient rainfall this season.

Some other places in the hill districts of Churachandpur and Chandel also failed to grow crop due to the same reasons.

Yet, the situation confronted by farmers was not declared as drought but it was officially termed as drought-like situation and hence the exact number of fields hit by the drought-like situation was not determined, Palandro added.

The total number of crop lands in the state yearly produce around 503.04 thousand metric tonne of rice but this season cannot reach the average yield as 20 percent to 30 percent is expected to haul down.

Likewise, the recent rain havoc may decrease the rice product but it cannot be officially confirmed as to how far will be the magnitude of loss, he said.

He also said since the rain has stopped from Friday it is hopeful that there will not be much loss in the yield but the exact loss will be known only after the reports of the district agriculture officers are received.

The Agriculture Department cannot take immediate measure when drought or flood strikes, he asserted and said the important job of the department is to provide seeds and knowledge of scientific cultivation to farmers in order to increase product.

"We are focusing on Rabi crop to recoup the failure of flowering crop due to insufficient rainfall this season as well as the destruction caused to the crop by the recent rain in the state," he announced and added that as part of the policy the department is planning to distribute Rabi crop seeds to farmers by November 15 .

For the Rabi crop, the department will provide 80 metric tonne of mustard oil seeds, 64 metric tonne of pea, 16 metric tonne of wheat and 8 metric tonne of Rabi maize to farmers, Palandro further said.

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