Agartala, July 18, 2023: The Aush season’s paddy harvest suffered due to a significant deficit in seasonal rainfall, which left a vast area of irrigable land uncultivated due to water scarcity. Out of 29,000 hectares of land, only 7,485 hectares saw paddy production this year, according to Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Monday evening.

This year, the Aush season recorded a total of 240 millimeters of rainfall, a substantial shortfall compared to the normal seasonal average of 584 millimeters, representing a 59 percent deficit. Worried about the changing climatic conditions, Nath expressed concern about the lower rainfall in the upcoming Aman season as well, which had an 18 percent deficit compared to the usual 629.2 millimeters recorded in the middle of July.

To combat the shortfall and ensure better paddy production in the Aman season, the agriculture department has devised a comprehensive plan under the Chief Minister’s integrated crop management system. A budget of Rs 65.77 crore has been allocated to increase paddy production. They have identified 1.48 lakh hectares of land for paddy cultivation, and each farmer will receive Rs 5,650 per hectare as part of this special project.

Additionally, the department has communicated five principles of farming to farmers through KVK and farming field schools, emphasizing the use of scientifically proven methods for sowing and harvesting. By adhering to these principles, the expected per hectare paddy production can be increased from the existing 3,200 kgs to 3,700 kgs.

A high-level meeting was held at Pragna Bhavan here in Agartala to discuss the revised target for the Aman season, where Agriculture department officials committed to avoiding leave for the next 25 days—the critical sowing period for the Aman season. The department aims to overcome the paddy deficit and achieve a surplus in production for the upcoming season.