Unseasonal rains threaten Bengal’s paddy harvest

Harvesting of early wide variety paddy in West Bengal is likely to be afflicted by unseasonal rainfall. Paddy harvesting (prevalent wide variety) in the State commonly commences by close of Oct or early November. Nonetheless, the harvesting of early wide variety starts publish Durga Puja.

The India Meteorological Division had, on Sunday, predicted significant rainfall in West Bengal and Odisha until Oct 20 because of to a very low-tension spot that has fashioned over north Telangana and powerful south-easterly wind from the Bay of Bengal. It is to be mentioned that some of the southern districts of the State, together with Howrah, Hooghly and East Medinipur, had recently expert floods owing to downpour and overflowing rivers.

According to resources, paddy fields throughout various districts in the State have been submerged less than drinking water.

“The early wide variety of paddy normally starts arriving from the 3rd 7 days of Oct. Nonetheless, this year there could be some hold off because of to the rains. The prevalent wide variety, which is harvested commonly from the initially 7 days of November, however, is not likely to be impacted,” Sushil Kumar Choudhury, President, Bengal Rice Mills Affiliation, instructed BusinessLine.

No immediate issues

Output of kharif paddy, which is the regular crop of West Bengal, was expected to be bigger this year backed by favourable temperature circumstances and suitable rains for the duration of the sowing time period.

The State makes close to 11 million tonnes of paddy for the duration of the kharif time, accounting for virtually 70 for every cent of the total output which is believed to be close to 15-sixteen million tonnes a year and virtually 14 for every cent of the country’s total output.

As for every official estimates, West Bengal has 5.eight million hectares less than rice cultivation. According to Pradip Kumar Mazumder, Main Advisor (Agriculture) to the Main Minister, it is nonetheless early to predict the effects of the rains on paddy output.

“So far we are not observing much of an effects and as of now there is no menace to kharif paddy output. But if rain continues then we will have to see. There is no immediate concern as of now,” Mazumder mentioned.

The unseasonal rain is also likely to effects Bengal’s high quality wide variety of aromatic rice – Gobindobhog. The farmers are obtaining it challenging to harvest the crop as the fields are loaded with drinking water. So the crops are turning out to be added major and high-quality is afflicted. The extra moisture is also earning the crop inclined to pest and insect attack, Suraj Agarwal, CEO, Tirupati Agri Trade mentioned.