Kaptipada: Farmers of this block in Mayurbhanj district are a worried lot, as agriculture activities have been hampered due to insufficient rain.
By this time of the year, preliminary farming activities like furrowing in muddy condition, transplantation of paddy saplings and other works should have commenced, but nothing of that sorts has happened, farmers said, adding farmland are lying dry and parched.
Especially, agriculture fields in upland areas are facing severe shortage of water. Paddy saplings in these areas have been blighted while sprouted paddy has wilted in most parts.
Apprehending possibility of impending drought, farmer Prasanna Biswal said, “The process to raise paddy saplings for transplantation was done twice, but with no success. Shortage of rainwater has delayed farming activities, leaving us deeply worried.”
Cattle can be seen grazing in farmland, which indicates that farmers have lost hope of farming this year, he said.
Over the last few years, farmers in some parts were battered by floods, cyclones and drought. Besides, some farmers claim that they have not received government help as yet.
Prediction of an early monsoon this year had generated a hope among farmers, but now they are spending sleepless nights due to scant rain, famers said.
According to sources in the district agriculture department, sowing has been completed in only 25 per cent of cultivable land in the block. Shalachua and Kaptipada cooperative societies have provided 927 quintals of paddy seeds to farmers.
About 40,000 farmers raise paddy in 21,745 hectares of which 7,288 hectares are in upland. About 13,371 hectares of land are solely dependent on rain while only, 7,929 hectares are irrigated.
Besides, the water level in rivers Son and Kushabhadra is low due to scant rain.
Kaptipada assistant agriculture officer Parmeswar Jena denied the report of paddy sprouts wilting, but admitted that farming activities have been hampered due to the shortage of rain. PNN
