Paddy sowing yet to begin in 13 districts

Ranchi: Paddy sowing is yet to begin in 13 of the 24 districts in the state so far despite the timely onset of monsoon this year. The districts which lag behind include Palamu, Latehar, Godda, Jamtara, Deoghar, Dumka, Hazaribag, Ramgarh, Chatra, Koderma, Giridih, Dhanbad and Bokaro.
The state agriculture department, however, said the sowing is expected to pick up pace in the next week. Out of about 28 lakh hectare of cultivable land, 18 lakh hectare is used for paddy in Jharkhand the rest is for pulses, oilseeds and cereals.
Till July 3, only 11.67% of the 18 lakh hectare fields has been sowed. In terms of area, about 2.10 lakh hectare has been covered. The sowing of maize has, however, touched close to 50% of the targeted 3.12 lakh hectare whereas pulses have covered 17.73% out of the six lakh hectare and 25% (out of 60,000 hectare) oilseeds have been sowed. Cereals stood at only 7% out of the 42,000 hectare.
The department said all districts have begun sowing of all other kharif crops.
State agriculture director Chavi Ranjan said the groundwork for paddy sowing could be on in many of the districts and will pick pace in another week or so. "This season, we have ensured timely distribution of seeds to all districts as per the intended targets and special focus has been put to provide all possible assistance to the farmers for good produce to tide over the crisis which they may have faced due to the lockdown. We are awaiting sowing reports from a few districts but by next week, you can expect the sowing to pick up pace," he said.
Ranchi district agriculture officer Ashok Kumar Sinha said areas like Ormanjhi, Pandra and a few other low-land pockets in the state capital have started sowing but there is a need for another continuous spell of rain for a couple of days for paddy sowing. He said, "The IMD has predicted rain over the next few days which will come as a boon for the farmers."
In Dumka, district agriculture officer Surendra Singh said preparation of paddy nurseries have touched 70% of the targeted coverage for transplantation. "Sowing couldn’t begin in most parts of Santhal Pargana except Shahibganj along the banks of Ganga river, so far as farmers were readying the saplings for transplantation," he said.
Senior agro-meteorologist at Birsa Agriculture University, A Wadud said the weather conditions are fully favourable for paddy sowing. He said, "Last year, the coverage was 25% by July end but we are sure it will be better this time. The monsoon began on a good note this season and provided the required soil moisture across the state."