‘Despite severe rain deficit in June, Odisha farmers will do better in July’

Odisha Sun Times Bureau

Bhubaneswar, July 1 :

In a release the Agrometeorology department of the Odisha University of Agriculture Technology said today that the present spell of rain will help farming in a big way as the Low Pressure  is likely to prevail over Odisha until July 4 and result in a good amount of rainfall across the state.

In the release, the head of the OUAT Agometeorology department Dr Surendra Nath Pasupalak said the Low Pressure is likely to stay over Odisha until  July 3-4 and cause moderate to heavy rainfall with very heavy rainfall at isolated places between 3 and 5 July.

Dr Pasupalak observed that during June 1 to June 30, the state received 98.4 mm rainfall as against the long term average (LTA) of 216.5 mm, which works out to a  (-) 54.5% deficit and can be categorized as severe deficient rainfall.

Of the 30 districts Nabrangpur is the only one to have received normal rainfall (-2.0%). While four districts have had deficient ( – 20 to 34.3%) rainfall, 13 districts have had severe deficit ranging from -42 to – 59.9% .

With -62.1 to -84.4 deficit 12 districts have registered sacnty rainfall, he said.

The crop coverage is about 25% less compared to  the corresponding period last year. Soil moisture is adequate in the coastal areas, where farm operations has resumed at full speed. Fairly wide spread rainfall occurred in the coastal and adjoining districts on 1 July (not reflected in the Table below).

However, moisture deficit continues in the southern and western districts. However, the forecast is that these regions will receive adequate rainfall in the next five days and help farm operation in a week’s time., he said.

No contingency measures are required at this time because the state government has a stock of shorter-duration rice and non-paddy seeds to meet the dry spell if  it continues after July 5, the agrometeorologist said.

ODISHA RAINFALL CHART

( June 1 to June 30, 2014 )