Angul: In view of adverse climatic conditions and shortage of water, the district administration here has planned to cultivate non-Kharif crops along with paddy during the Kharif season, a report said.
Sources in the district administration said the plan will be sent to the state government for its approval before its implementation.
Reports said most of the farmlands reel under water scarcity due to lack of irrigation facilities while the remaining are left uncultivated. Farmers borrow hugely to raise the crops but eventually fail to repay the loans due to crop loss, thanks to lack of irrigation facilities.
Adverse climatic conditions and lack of irrigation facilities are blamed for the low output, which is weaning off the farmers from cultivation and forcing them to take up alternative livelihood opportunities.
Sources said the district administration had set a target to bring 86,000 hectare of farmlands in the district under Kharif cultivation in 2021-22 fiscal. However, more than half of the farmlands in the district remained uncultivated due to scanty rainfall.
Farmers who had taken up cultivation on fallow land could manage to harvest something but the harvest was not as per their expectation. The delayed rainfall helped only those farmers who had started their cultivation late. This shattered the hopes of the district administration with 22,000 hectare of farmland remaining uncultivated. The district agriculture department even thought of asking farmers to take up cultivation of non-Kharif crops like vegetables, millets but lack of irrigation facilities put their plan on the back-burner.
As per the draft plan, cultivation of non-Kharif crops will be taken up on 5,000 hectare. A workshop will also be organised to sensitise the farmers regarding cultivation of non-Kharif crops.
Chief district agriculture officer (CDAO) Debaraj Mohanty said, “The new plan has been prepared as the district failed to achieve its target last year due to near drought like condition. The plan will be implemented in the district after the state government gives its nod.”