Monsoon revival boosts paddy cultivation in Udupi

Paddy cultivation has picked up pace in the district owing to revival of monsoon in July. Last month the district received just a little over half the rainfall it normally got in June. According to the figures provided by the Rain Monitoring Cell at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, the normal rainfall in Udupi district in June is 1,055 mm. Deficit But in June, 2014, the district got just 575 mm of rainfall, which is a deficit of 480 mm. In June, 2013, the district had received an average rainfall of 1,264 mm. But the rains gods, who had sulked in June, have smiled on the district in July. The average rainfall received in Udupi district as on July 22, 2014, is 925.9 mm. The normal rainfall in the district in July is 1,381 mm. But in July, 2013, the district had got above normal rainfall of 1,613 mm. Improved rainfall has led to an increase in sowing and transplanting of paddy by the farmers in the district. According to Anthony Maria Immanuel, Joint Director of Agriculture, agricultural activities had picked up considerably in the district. The department has a target of bringing 45,000 hectares (ha) of land under paddy cultivation in the district. Till July 19, 2014, paddy cultivation had been taken up in 25,000 ha. “By this weekend, we expect 75 per cent of land to be under paddy cultivation,” he said. Seeds Those who had taken up sowing last month had used the traditional MO4 variety of paddy seeds. Those who have taken up cultivation late are going into direct sowing of paddy seeds in their fields. “Most of these farmers are sowing the Jyoti variety of paddy seeds,” Mr. Immanuel said. Farmers happy Srinivas Bhat, a farmer from Kudi village, said that the paddy farmers were worried as the district had received just half the rainfall in June. “Now all paddy farmers are happy. Everyone is sowing,” he said. However, another paddy farmer Ramachandra B. from Punchur village, said that some farmers were not aware of the short-duration Jyoti paddy seeds and some others faced labour problem. “How much this late revival of rains is of help to farmers is difficult to say,” he said. Last year, the Agriculture Department had the target of bringing 45,000 ha of land under paddy cultivation. But the farmers had grown paddy on 44,663 ha of land and produced 1.36 lakh tonnes of rice. -The Hindu