Despite low rainfall, non-paddy crops in good shape 

BONAI (SUNDARGARH) : Despite erratic rainfall, various non-paddy crops of kharif season with signs of good health are reaching flowering to harvesting stage, while paddy crops are gradually getting harvested in Bonai sub-division of rain-fed Sundargarh district. After the recent low-pressure induced rains, farmers were worried about crop damage. Sources said this kharif season, the sub-division has covered 17,827 hectares (ha) under non-paddy crops, while rest 49,553 ha have been covered under paddy and cereal crops, including ‘raagi’, maize, ‘jowar’ and small millets.

Bonai District Agriculture Officer (DAO) P H Kerketta said despite weak and erratic monsoon, both paddy and non-paddy crops in Bonai, Lahunipara, Gurundia and Koida blocks are in good shape. Usually non-paddy crops require less soil moisture and sowing is done late. Similarly, pulses like ‘moong’, ‘arhar’, ‘biri’ and cow-pea cultivated in different phases are in flowering, fruiting to harvesting stages, while oil seeds crops, including sesame, are in flowering to fruiting stage and groundnut crops sown early have reached harvesting stage, he added.

Kerketta said about 15-20 per cent of paddy crops cultivated early on upland have been harvested, while harvesting of standing paddy crops on medium land would start shortly and on low-land, it would continue till December end. He said due to water-logging following  recent low-pressure induced rainfall, negligible portion of ready to harvest paddy crops with ‘no dormancy’ genetic feature had developed sprouting. But, overall crop condition is very good in the sub-division, he said.

Meanwhile, in the transition time to rabi crop season, farmers, after harvesting paddy crops, have readied to sow non-paddy crops on the same farm fields to utilise the residual soil moisture. Sowing of mustard, field-pea and red grams for rabi season would continue till middle of November as after that residual soil moisture may be lost, he added. The agriculture officer, however, informed that cultivation areas for rabi season has not been finalised as different irrigation authorities are yet to prepare programmes.
 Similarly, vegetable crops cultivated in different phases of the kharif season have also shown good yields.